A fierce political dispute has erupted between the Greek government and the main opposition party, Pasok, following the reported U.S. arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, turning a global crisis into a domestic battle over international law.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis sharply criticized Pasok’s reaction, accusing the opposition of "nationally dangerous" rhetoric.
The rebuke followed comments by Pasok lawmaker Dimitris Matzos, who warned that the U.S. action risks normalizing "the dominance of the law of the strong over international law."
“This is a nightmarish scenario,” Mr. Matzos said.
Pasok escalated the exchange, issuing a statement addressing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis directly.
The party argued that Greece’s national interests are “inseparably linked to respect for international law” and urged Mr. Mitsotakis to "correct [his] mistake."
Pasok accused the government of abandoning long-standing foreign policy principles by failing to question the legality of the operation.
Government officials dismissed the criticism as premature and irresponsible.
In a detailed statement, they emphasized that the Foreign Ministry is in constant contact with EU partners and the U.N. Security Council.
They noted that crisis management plans are in place to assist Greek nationals in Venezuela.
Mr. Mitsotakis has aligned Greece with European leaders in highlighting the authoritarian nature of Mr. Maduro’s rule, while officials stated that questions regarding the operation's legality would be assessed at the appropriate time.
The government confirmed its position will be formally presented at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting on Tuesday.
Pasok fired back, accusing Mr. Marinakis of attempting to "clean up" a damaging stance by the prime minister, warning that Athens is drifting dangerously away from its commitment to multilateralism.