Mamdani slams US action in Venezuela, says he ‘called Trump directly to register my opposition’

Mamdani says he phoned Trump to oppose Venezuela strikes, calls operation an ‘act of war’

Newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday strongly criticised the US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, calling it an “act of war” and a violation of both federal and international law.

Addressing a news conference, the Democratic Socialist leader said he had personally spoken to US President Donald Trump to convey his opposition to the operation and Washington’s alleged pursuit of regime change in Venezuela.

“I called the president and spoke with him directly to register my opposition to this act and to make clear that it was an opposition based on being opposed to a pursuit of regime change, to the violation of federal international law and a desire to see that be consistent each and every day. I registered my opposition, I made it clear and we left it at that,” Mamdani told reporters.

His remarks came shortly after Trump announced the capture of Maduro, describing the operation as a “large-scale strike” that followed months of US actions against suspected drug trafficking networks allegedly linked to the Venezuelan regime in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

Reacting to the developments, the Venezuelan government condemned the US action, accusing Washington of attempting to impose a “colonial war” aimed at destroying Venezuela’s republican system and forcing regime change in alliance with what it described as a “fascist oligarchy.”

Mamdani later took to X to highlight the potential impact of the escalating crisis on New York City’s sizeable Venezuelan community. “This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad; it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home,” he wrote. “My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker, and my administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue relevant guidance.”

While Mamdani and Maduro both espouse forms of socialist ideology centred on wealth redistribution, analysts note key differences in approach. Mamdani has campaigned on taxing wealthy individuals and corporations to fund public services such as housing, childcare, public transport and city-run grocery stores.

Venezuela’s model under Maduro, by contrast, relied heavily on nationalisation and centralised state control of resources, a system widely blamed for economic collapse and authoritarian governance.