The aggression by the United States toward Venezuela requires a strong and firm response in order to deter the U.S. from repeating these actions against other governments that refuse to bow to pressure, said a Cuban expert.
Claudia Marín Suárez, coordinator of the Latin America and Caribbean Team at the Center for International Policy Research of Cuba, emphasized the need for a robust international response to the actions by the U.S.
"I believe that the aggression towards Venezuela requires and demands, first and foremost, a firm rejection from the international community, from governments, both in the region and all around the world, especially those that have a larger influence in international relations, because they have gained ground in the international balance of power. Some of them have, of course, declared their firm rejection of what has happened, of what the U.S. government has done against Venezuela," said the expert.
Marín Suárez articulated that the situation in Venezuela sets a dangerous precedent, suggesting that similar pressures could threaten any government that opposes U.S. interests.
She believes that countries with significant diplomatic power should lead efforts to condemn interventions that destabilize sovereignty and threaten peace.
"What is happening today in Venezuela could happen tomorrow to any other government that does not accept or that refuses to bow down to pressure from the U.S. or to U.S. interests. Therefore, I believe that this type of interventionism deserves condemnation, rejection, and concerted and decisive action from the international community and from those actors who have greater weight in the international balance of power," she said.
The U.S. military launched a series of attacks against Venezuela early Saturday morning, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and flying him out of the country. He is currently in New York awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to the charges against him.
These actions have drawn widespread international condemnation, with multiple countries calling for a coordinated global response.
US aggression against Venezuela requires firm international response: Cuban expert
Taoiseach of Ireland Micheal Martin, who wrapped up his five-day official visit to China, has praised China's progress in areas such as digital economy and green energy, saying Ireland is willing to deepen economic and trade cooperation with China in emerging sectors while enhancing cooperation on multilateral affairs.
It is Martin's first visit to China since taking office and the first by an Irish prime minister in 14 years.
Speaking during a joint interview with Chinese media outlets in Beijing, Martin spoke positively of the steady development of bilateral relations in recent years, highlighting closer people-to-people exchanges and growing ties in higher education.
"We now have a direct flight between Dublin and China and that's very important in terms of people to people. Our education links are very strong and we have many partnerships between Irish higher education institutions and Chinese higher education institutions and that's important," he said.
Martin said economic and trade ties remain a key pillar underpinning the sound development of bilateral relations.
He recalled that bilateral trade has seen exponential growth since his first visit to China 20 years ago, when he served as minister for enterprise, trade and employment.
Looking ahead, he expressed expectations for expanded cooperation with China in such emerging fields as digital economy and green transition.
"We will be embarking on a major investment in offshore renewables over the next decade. We already are in the planning process. It's a windy island, so we have a lot of wind to harness for energy. So we do see opportunities in AI as well. Ireland is a very strong location for investment, as a member of the European Union, the only English-speaking country now in the Eurozone and in the European Union. And it's a good access point to the European consumer market. We believe there's a greater opportunity for Chinese companies to locate in Ireland," he said.
As Ireland is set to assume the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) in the second half of 2026, Martin said Ireland adopts a pragmatic policy towards China within the EU and stays committed to promoting a EU-China relationship framework that effectively manages differences while expanding mutually beneficial cooperation.
"What is important is that we continue to dialogue and see can we develop frameworks of agreement on the big picture. The WTO is also very important forum for resolving trade issues. Both Europe and China would acknowledge that industrial resilience, economic security issues are important issues, but that has to be balanced with an open free trade environment. So we are against tariffs. We think tariffs are ultimately damaging to the world economy," he said.
At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Martin paid an official visit to China from Jan 4 to 8. In addition to Beijing, he also visited Shanghai.
Irish Taoiseach sees broader cooperation with China in emerging sectors
