Italian political and social figures have strongly condemned the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, in which the U.S. special forces kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Critics argue that the United States, driven by its desire for Venezuela's oil resources, has violated international law by forcibly interfering in the country's internal affairs, an act that not only infringes on Venezuela's national sovereignty but also threatens peace and stability in Latin America.
"A major power like the United States has repeatedly violated international law. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last. The U.S. action is extremely blatant, extremely shocking. We have become accustomed to it," said Italian MP Riccardo Ricciardi.
"They (the United States) can kidnap, kill, invade, and plunder other countries' resources. By what right? The right of the powerful? The right of gangsters? This is precisely the problem facing the world today. We must build a new international system -- a system in which such actions are no longer permitted and will be held accounted to pay dearly," said Pino Arlacchi, former UN under-secretary-general, who is also an Italian sociologist.
"The incident is an unprecedented international crime, an armed aggression against a sovereign state resulting in over 100 deaths. The forced control of a sitting head of state violates at least 30 international laws, including the UN Charter and other international customary laws," said Fabio Marcelli, an Italian legal expert.
"Donald Trump's objective is not to combat drug trafficking, which is only a pretext. The true U.S. objective is to gain control of Venezuela's resources. The United States does not represent the entire American continent, nor is it the sole protagonist in the global landscape. Ultimately, it is U.S.-led unilateralism challenging multilateralism," said Clara Statello, an Italian journalist.
Italian figures condemn US intervention in Venezuela
The recent 2026 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference in Beijing has impressed international guests with its focus on deeper integration of technological and industrial innovation, highlighting how China's innovative advances are reshaping daily life.
The five-day forum, themed "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation," wrapped up in Chinese capital on Sunday after bringing together more than 1,000 participants from over 100 countries and regions around the world.
More than 560 cutting-edge achievements were unveiled at the event, ranging from embodied intelligent robots and brain-computer interfaces to breakthroughs in quantum applications and 6G research and development.
The venue for the forum also showcased a number of these innovative creations to visitors, who were able to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee prepared by a humanoid barista, as well as be throughly entertained by robots performing dances or even playing piano.
Given the presence of these advanced humanoid robots, international participants shared the common view that innovation is no longer confined to laboratories but is now permeating every aspect of daily life.
"The deepest impression is actually to see how much AI is across everywhere," said Anders Karlsson, vice president of Elsevier, a global leader providing advanced information and decision support to accelerate progress in science and healthcare worldwide.
"The Zhongguancun Forum has become a very international window on innovation. We can find out annually how innovation is driving [and a key] component of growth of this wonderful country," said Vincenzo Lipardi, president and co-founder of SPICI, an Italian company assisting businesses and startups with strategic consulting services.
"As a scientist and as a worker of the United Nations system, I'm really pleased to see integration of science, technology and sustainability," said Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia.
One of the forum's key themes was around opening up and striving for greater cooperation, which demonstrated to the wider world that China's innovation aims to break down barriers and share opportunities, so as to enable the global community to advance together.
"It's my first time attending the forum. And I'm very surprised that you have a very high level of innovation. China is open to ideas. Openness is the way to make innovations," said Prof. Hussein Sherief, a member of the International Committee for Scientific and Technical Data (CODATA).
Int'l guests hail integration of technology, innovation at Beijing forum
