Trump's capture of Maduro sparks predictable split among world leaders

Here are 7 responses from global leaders

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Monday, January 05, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the White House on April 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Trump and Bukele were expected to discuss several bilateral issues, including the detention of Kilmar Armando Abrego García, who has been in prison in El Salvador since March 15. | Win McNamee/Getty Images

6. Nayib Bukele: Personal score settled

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele responded by reposting a previous video in which Maduro had personally attacked him.

In the clip, Maduro responded angrily to criticism from Bukele in 2019, after El Salvador expelled Venezuelan diplomats and recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. Maduro called Bukele “a puppet of imperialism” and warned that “no meddlesome upstart … like this Bukele character” would separate El Salvador and Venezuela. He ended the speech with a threat: “Bukele will wither.”

Bukele paired that footage with an image of Maduro blindfolded in U.S. custody.

Bukele also responded to criticism from U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who called the raid “an illegal act of war to replace Maduro and grab Venezuela’s oil for his billionaire buddies.” Bukele replied, “So you just want to defend thugs.”