UPDATE - German chancellor calls legal assessment of US strikes on Venezuela 'complex'

UPDATES WITH GERMAN CHANCELLOR'S REMARKS; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Legal assessment of the US strikes on Venezuela will be "complex and requires careful consideration," Germany’s chancellor said Saturday after strikes which included the capture of the South American nation's president, Nicolas Maduro.

Friedrich Merz said that international law remains the guiding framework.

"The legal assessment of the U.S. intervention is complex and requires careful consideration," he said on the US social media company X.

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said that the US will "run" Venezuela until an interim period following the capture of Maduro.

"At this stage, political instability in Venezuela must be avoided. The objective is an orderly transition to an elected government," added Merz.

He also accused Maduro of leading his country "into ruin," with the country’s most recent election "rigged," adding that like many other countries, Germany has therefore not recognized his presidency.

Earlier Saturday, Left Party (Die Linke) lawmaker Soren Pellmann urged Germany to "clearly and unequivocally" condemn US strikes on Venezuela, calling them a "clear violation" of international law.

"The fact that, according to US reports, President Maduro was captured and taken out of the country is a further dangerous escalation and is absolutely incompatible with law and the international order," he said in a statement shared by the party on X.

Pellmann said the US attack on Caracas is a "clear violation of international law."

Earlier Saturday, Venezuela’s government accused the US of attacking civilian and military installations in multiple states, and declared ‌a national ‌emergency.

US President Donald Trump later confirmed the "large scale" strike, adding that Maduro and his wife had been "captured and flown out of the country" and were on their way to the US, where they would face trial.

The attacks came after months of growing US pressure on Maduro, who Washington accuses of being involved in drug trafficking. The Venezuelan leader had denied the claims and expressed readiness for talks.