Qatar on Saturday expressed its “deep concern” about the developments in Venezuela after US President Donald Trump ordered an operation to capture the country's president, and said it was ready to contribute to an “immediate peaceful solution”.
As part of the operation early on Saturday that knocked out electricity in parts of Caracas and included attacks on military installations, US special forces seized President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flew them to the US. Mr Trump announced he would “run the country” during the transition and take control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry called for “restraint, de-escalation, and the adoption of dialogue as the appropriate means to address all outstanding issues”.
Qatar also said it was ready to “contribute to any international effort aimed at achieving an immediate peaceful solution, and underscores its commitment to keeping channels of communication open.”
Doha has been involved in facilitating and mediating between Washington and Caracas in recent years, as it seeks to expand relations with Latin America. In December 2023, a political prisoner exchange took place between the US and Venezuela after Qatari mediation.
Since Mr Trump came to power last year, Washington has doubled down on Caracas, accusing the country of failing to combat drug smuggling. In October, Washington began increasing pressure and sent warships to the Caribbean.
Last month, Qatar said it was monitoring developments between the US and Venezuela and that it was willing to step in as a mediator to resolve the crisis. But, Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari at the time said no formal requests to do so had been received.
Qatar has played a leading role as mediator between Israel and Hamas over the course of the conflict in Gaza.
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