China says US should immediately release Venezuela's Maduro

China's foreign ministry said on Sunday the United States should immediately release Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife and resolve the situation in Venezuela through dialogue and negotiation.

Brenda Goh/Reuters

4 January 2026 at 08:33:07

China says US should immediately release Venezuela's Maduro

Members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) stand guard, as Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is processed at the DEA office, after he and his wife Cilia Flores were captured overnight in Venezuela by U.S. forces, in New York City, U.S., January 3, 2026.

REUTERS/Edward Gratten

SHANGHAI - China's foreign ministry said on Sunday the United States should immediately release Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife and resolve the situation in Venezuela through dialogue and negotiation.

The ministry said in a statement on its website that the United States should also ensure the personal safety of Maduro and his wife, saying that their deportation violated international law and norms.

-Brenda Goh/Reuters