Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters. Photo: ODT filesForeign Minister Winston Peters has made the government's first statement following the US military action against Venezuela, saying New Zealand is "concerned". "New Zealand is concerned by and actively monitoring developments in Venezuela and expects all parties to act in accordance with international law," Peters said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), using the official Minister of Foreign Affairs account. The military action comes after months of accusations from the Trump administration that Venezuela has been shipping narcotics into the US, but Trump has made no secret of his desire to access Venezuela's natural reserves. In theory, Gillespie said it appeared the US military action was unlawful.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 03, 2026 22:46 UTC