Spain holds a unique place in the Venezuelan crisis. This results not only from the size and activity of the diaspora, but also from the left-wing government's ambition to co-create a European front of opposition to Donald Trump's policies. As Pedro Sanchez himself put it, Washington's decisions “are not neutral” and “have real consequences for the stability of entire regions.”
Shortly after the American bombings of Caracas, the Spanish Prime Minister significantly increased his diplomatic activity. “This is a violation of international law and a very dangerous precedent.”he said, warning that the US actions “are pushing Latin America towards uncertainty and escalation”. During a meeting in Paris with the leaders of countries supporting Ukraine, he added that the world “remembers too well the consequences of interventions justified by strategic interests.”
Sanchez has repeatedly emphasized that he applies the same argumentation to Venezuela, Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, directly comparing these conflicts: “We are defending an international order based on rules, not the law of the jungle.” Spain, together with Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Chile and Colombia, expressed “deep concern and opposition” to violations of international law.
Why does the Spanish Prime Minister criticize Trump?
What are the consequences of Sanchez's foreign policy?
How many Venezuelans live in Spain?
What interests do Spanish companies have in Venezuela?
In Spain, the Venezuelan conflict reached its peak
The conservative daily “La Razón” points out that it is American the attack in Venezuela was used by the Sanchez government for a “political operation in the Palace of Moncloa” and that Spanish foreign policy is becoming a tool to divert attention from domestic problems. However, Sanchez is not the only person who uses foreign policy to build his image. The right-wing used the Venezuela issue to point out the alleged connections between “Sankhism” and “Chavism”.
The opposition in Spain, primarily the Popular Party (PP) and Vox, emphasized their close contacts with the Venezuelan opposition. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo blamed the Sanchez government “renunciation of diplomatic assets and moral leadership towards the Madura regime” and the lack of effectiveness in bringing about a real change of government in Caracas.
Others, led by former Prime Minister José María Aznar, are so fiercely opposed to the current regime in Venezuela that they cannot imagine any other scenario than handing power to the opposition, Edmund González and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado. The former conservative prime minister criticized American “colonialism” and the marginalization of the Venezuelan oppositionist. In short, the Venezuelan conflict has also reached its peak in Spain.
Venezuela's importance in Spain goes far beyond diplomacy. Approximately 400,000 people live in the country. Venezuelans, half of them in Madrid. The capital has also become one of the main places where wealthy emigrants from Caracas invest. “Madrid is today for Venezuelans what Miami was a decade ago”economic commentators note. An example is the Salamanca district of Madrid, known for the exclusive Platea Madrid gastronomic center with Michelin-starred restaurants. Recently it has gained a new nickname – “little Caracas”. The area is increasingly reminiscent of Sabana Grande, one of the main boulevards of Caracas.
Spain has been pursuing a balancing policy towards Venezuela for years. On the one hand, it maintained relations with the regime of Nicolás Madur, on the other – it provides asylum to the opposition, whose leader Edmundo González, like other opposition politicians, now lives in Spain as a refugee. “Spain is not closing its doors to either side because it wants to be part of the solution, not the problem,” explains Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.
Madrid has offered to mediate both between the United States and Venezuela and between Delca Rodríguez's government and the opposition. Also in the background are the interests of large Spanish companies – Repsol and Telefónica – and the case of Spanish citizens detained in Caracas. When the five were released in January, Sanchez called it “an act of justice that shows that dialogue makes sense.”
The anti-Trump course: risks and rewards
The prime minister's anti-Trump message is widely supported in Spain. According to YouGov research, as many as 81 percent Spaniards perceive Donald Trump negatively.
Sanchez's strong support for the Palestinians in the face of the Gaza bombings sparked a sharp reaction from Israel but strengthened his standing at home and among leftist voters in Europe. “We are on the right side of history,” the Prime Minister emphasized when Spain, together with Ireland and Norway, recognized the Palestinian state. Already in the fall of 2023, he also warned Israel against human rights violations in the Gaza Strip.
In mid-December 2025, the Spanish leader received the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in Madrid. Earlier, in December 2024, the Spanish government came under fire from US criticism after American ships were denied access to Spanish ports for transporting weapons to Israel.
The confrontation with Washington also covered NATO, trade and technology. Sanchez opposed Trump's demands for defense spending, and in Davos he spoke directly about the threat to democracy from “overly influential digital platforms and Silicon Valley billionaires.” He called on the European Union to “enforce its own rules, without complexes towards the US.”
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The greatest tensions were caused by Sanchez's visit to China – the first such trip by a Western leader after the escalation of the US-China trade war. “A rapprochement with Beijing would be like cutting one's own throat,” warned representatives of the US administration. Madrid, however, did not budge. “We need to build relationships with global players, guided by European interests, not others' fears,” replied Sanchez.
As elDiario.es' María Ramírez notes, open condemnation of Trump “could threaten relations with the U.S. — a fear that holds many European leaders back — but in practice The White House is surprisingly restrained in its response to Spain“. Trump has already threatened Spain with additional tariffs and exclusion from NATO, but neither of these announcements has been implemented.
Meanwhile, in the global South, Madrid's policy is perceived positively. And in Europe, Sanchez increasingly stands out as a leader who speaks out what others choose not to say. The risks remain real — but the political gains, at least for now, seem greater.
