Leaders from around the world on Wednesday condemned the occupation of the seat of the US Congress by supporters of President Donald Trump and expressed shock at the chaos unfolding in a country once entrusted with leadership. world.
“Sad scenes in the US Congress,” tweeted Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Great Britain, a country that has been his faithful ally for generations. “The United States represents democracy around the world and it is now vital that there is a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.”
Other European allies were equally shocked by what they described as an attack on American democracy. Some directly criticized Trump.
“Trump and his supporters must finally accept the decision of the US electorate and stop trampling democracy,” tweeted Heiko Maas, Germany’s foreign minister. “From inflammatory words come violent acts,” he added, pointing out that “disrespect for democratic institutions has disastrous consequences.”
“The beauty of democracy?”, Accompanied by a shrugging emoji, was tweeted by Bashir Ahmad, personal assistant to the President of Nigeria, a country that has seen several coups d’état since independence, including one led ago. decades by newly elected President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and his Colombian counterpart Iván Duque were among the Latin American leaders who accused the protesters, but also expressed confidence that American democracy will maintain its solidity.
“In this sad episode in the United States, supporters of fascism showed their true face: undemocratic and aggressive,” tweeted Luis Roberto Barroso, judge of the Federal Supreme Court and chairman of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court. He said he hoped “American society and institutions will respond vigorously to this threat to democracy.”
In a similar vein, Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández expressed his “rejection of the grave acts of violence and Congressional outrage that took place today in Washington DC on Twitter”. He also expressed support for President-elect Joe Biden, saying he was confident that the transfer of power will be peaceful.
Venezuela, the target of Washington sanctions, believed that the events in the US capital show that the United States is “suffering from what it has generated in other countries with its aggressive policies.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has survived attempts by the US-backed opposition to overthrow him, even though he has been accused of human rights violations, civil unrest and a humanitarian crisis that has forced millions of people into the country.
In Puerto Rico, a lot of people took to social media and joked that that American territory no longer wanted a state. Independence, they noted, looked attractive for the first time in decades.
In fact, an attempt at independence in the Caribbean island was one of the last times the US Congress was forcibly raided. Four members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party opened fire in the House of Representatives in March 1954, injuring five lawmakers.
Italians watched the events in amazement, as they have always regarded the United States as the model of democracy and the country that saved Italy from the fascist government during World War II.
“This is the widely anticipated outcome of Trumpism,” tweeted Pierluigi Castagnetti, a retired Italian center-left politician. “And unfortunately it doesn’t end today. When politics is replaced by deceit and fanaticism of the people, the deviation is inevitable.
The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, who heads one of the world’s greatest lawmakers, also condemned the scenes on Capitol Hill.
The European Union has spent four turbulent years with the Trump administration, and its top officials have repeatedly said they hoped for a better relationship with Biden.
‘This is an uprising. Nothing less. In Washington, ”Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister of Sweden, tweeted.
NATO ally Turkey, which has at times grappled with Washington, expressed concern at scenes of enraged Trump supporters entering Capitol Hill in an attempt to thwart Biden’s confirmation as the new US president. Due to the chaos, lawmakers were evacuated from the building.
A statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry called on all parties in the United States to be “moderate” and to use “common sense”.
“We believe the United States will overcome this domestic political crisis with maturity,” the ministry said.
The statement also called on Turks in the United States to stay away from crowds and demonstrations.
Trump issued a moderate admonition to keep the peace long after the disorder began, but did not immediately ask his supporters to disperse. Later he asked them to go home and called them ‘very special people’.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for his part, said his country was “deeply concerned and sad” by the events in the United States, Canada’s closest ally and neighbor.
“Violence will never succeed in overcoming the will of the people. Democracy in the United States needs to be defended, and it will be, ”Trudeau tweeted.
Volkan Bozkir, president of the United Nations General Assembly, said he was saddened by what happened. However, he tweeted, “I believe that peace and respect for democratic processes in our host country will prevail at this critical time.”