Following her visit to Ise Jingu shrine on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spoke at her first press conference of 2026. One of the issues reporters were most interested in hearing about was the United States’s military strikes on Venezuela and the arrest of the country’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Takaichi, however, avoided criticizing the Trump Administration.
Takaichi Vows To Prioritize ‘Safety of Japanese Nationals’ in Venezuela
She said that Japan “will continue its diplomatic efforts to prioritize the safety of Japanese nationals, to restore democracy and stabilize the situation in Venezuela, while working closely with G7 members and nations in the region.” Takaichi added that her country “has always respected fundamental values and principles such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law.”
Takaichi was basically repeating the words she posted on Twitter on Sunday. Other members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), however, were more direct in their assessment of the situation. “The US administration’s invasion of Venezuela is a ‘change of the status quo by force’ itself, and it contradicts the grounds for denouncing China and Russia,” posted former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera.
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, was also critical of the Trump Administration. “Countries that actually possess the capability and will to change the status quo by force have begun to create a new status quo, transcending the long-standing postwar order that ‘does not permit changes to the status quo by force,’’’ he said at a press conference in Ise on Sunday. “We must take a hard look at the fact that we have entered such an era.”
The US Military Strikes in Venezuela
At around 2 a.m. local time on January 3, 2026, the United States military attacked Venezuela. They captured President Maduro and his wife in less than three hours. They are accused of engaging in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and partnering with cartels designated as terrorist groups. The operation, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, featured more than 150 aircraft from 20 bases across the Western Hemisphere. Two days after being arrested, Maduro appeared in a New York court and pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges.
