Hozier condemns "criminal acts of imperial aggression" following US attack on Venezuela

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier has urged politicians to defend international law following the US attack on Venezuela over the weekend.

US President Donald Trump launched a series of strikes on Venezuela's capital city, Caracas, on Saturday, January 3.

At least 40 people have been killed so far, including military personnel and civilians, according to a senior Venezuelan official.

Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were also taken prisoner by the US military. Charges related to drugs and weapons have been brought against the two in New York, where they are currently being held.

Taking to Instagram last night, Hozier wrote about the "nauseating scenes" taking place in Venezuela.

"This is an opportunity for European leadership to stand up for international law and to reject nakedly criminal acts of imperial aggression such as this. Hands off Venezuela," said Hozier.

"Gaza and Venezuela are mirrors reflecting the potential future of the Global South under an imperial system that no longer feels constrained by legality or shame," Hozier wrote in a second post.

Hozier via Instagram Stories pic.twitter.com/toOeXeXPS8

— daily hozier pics & vids (@dailyhozierpics) January 3, 2026

Speaking in a press conference after the attacks took place, Trump said that the US would "run" Venezuela on a temporary basis to "get the oil flowing", claiming it's in Venezuela's best interest.

"We're there now, but we're going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place," the president told reporters from Mar-a-Lago on Saturday.

"We want to surround ourselves with good neighbours. We want to surround ourselves with stability."

"We're going to be taking out a tremendous amount of wealth out of the ground, and that wealth is going to the people of Venezuela and people from outside of Venezuela that used to be in Venezuela, and it also goes to the United States of America in the form of reimbursement for the damages caused to us by that country."

Trump declined to clarify whether he conferred with Congress prior to executing the airstrikes in an interview with The New York Times on Saturday.

"Congress has a tendency to leak," said Trump.

Democrats have largely criticised the U.S. military strikes on Venezuela. With many speaking out against Trump's decision.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris took to X to condemn the attack on Venezuela.

"The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to," Harris wrote.

"This is not about drugs or democracy. It is about oil and Donald Trump's desire to play the regional strongman.

"If he cared about either, he wouldn't pardon a convicted drug trafficker or sideline Venezuela's legitimate opposition while pursuing deals with Maduro's cronies."

Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable.

That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise. We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that…

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 4, 2026

Irish politicians have also spoken out, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking in Beijing today, saying he "would have preferred a peaceful transition to democracy in the country".

“He did a lot of damage and was quite tyrannical in his approach and repressive as a leader,” said Martin on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“That said, we do believe that the future of Venezuela is one that must be decided by the people of Venezuela, and everybody should work to create the right conditions to enable free and fair elections to take place in Venezuela.

"We have to ensure that the people get to decide their future in Venezuela and that there’s strong adherence to the international rules-based order.”

The Social Democrats have called on the Irish government to "unequivocally condemn the US military actions in Venezuela, which clearly undermine international law and will further heighten global tensions," with Sinn Féin also highlighting that "the Irish government and global democracy must act to support an urgent de-escalation of political tensions in Venezuela."