Macron: Maduro's ouster "good news" for Venezuelans

French President Emmanuel Macron said on January 5 that France did not support or approve the “method used” by the United States to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, according to a government spokesperson.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Macron made clear that while France welcomed Maduro’s removal from power, it did not endorse the way in which Washington carried out the operation. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told reporters that Macron described Maduro as “a dictator” and said his departure was “good news for Venezuelans," Caliber.Az reports via French media. 

Macron’s comments followed criticism, particularly from left-wing figures in France, over his initial reaction to the developments in Venezuela, which did not address the means used by the United States to apprehend Maduro.

At the same time, the French president reaffirmed France’s commitment to international norms, stressing the country’s attachment to legal principles and democratic values. He said France “defends international law and the freedom of peoples,” Bregeon added.

A reminder that the United States carried out airstrikes on Venezuela on January 3, in a raid extracting Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, for trial in New York on narco-terrorism charges.

By Sabina Mammadli