‘Called Trump directly to register my opposition’: Mamdani condemns US strikes on Venezuela, calls it an ‘act of war’

Newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday condemned the US military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.The socialist democrat called it an “act of war and a violation of federal and international law.”At a news conference, Mamdani said he had spoken to US President Donald Trump by phone to voice his opposition to the military operation and the attempt to change Venezuela’s government.Mamdani said: “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.”US President Trump had announced the capture earlier in the day, describing it as a “large scale strike” following months of US assaults on suspected drug vessels allegedly tied to the Venezuelan regime in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific. The Venezuelan government issued a statement condemning the attack, describing it as an “attempt to impose a colonial war to destroy the republican form of government and force a ‘regime change,’ in alliance with the fascist oligarchy.”Mamdani later took to X to highlight the potential impact on New Yorkers, particularly the city’s tens of thousands of Venezuelan residents. “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. 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,” he said.The mayor is a democratic socialist who shares some policy similarities with Maduro, including a focus on redistributing wealth. Mamdani has campaigned on taxing the wealthy and corporations to fund public services, while Maduro redistributed wealth through oil revenues and state control of resources. However, Venezuelan socialism has involved nationalisation and centralised control, contributing to economic collapse and authoritarian practices, unlike Mamdani’s localised policy agenda focused on public housing, childcare, transit and city-owned grocery stores, according to Fox News.