World leaders are dismayed by the assault on the United States Capitol

Leaders around the world on Wednesday condemned the storm at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump, who expressed shock at the chaos unfolding in a country they once trusted to lead globally. .

“Shameful scenes in the United States Congress,” tweeted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a staunch ally of the United States for generations. “The United States is defending democracy around the world and now it is vital that there is a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.”

Other allies were similarly frightened by what they described as an attack on American democracy, although some said they believed U.S. democratic institutions would withstand the turmoil. Some leaders pointed to Trump for harsh criticism.

“Trump and his supporters should finally accept the decision of American voters and stop stepping on democracy,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter. “Violent facts come out of inflammatory words.” He added that “contempt for democratic institutions has disastrous effects.”

“The beauty of democracy?” with a shoulder emoji was the reaction tweeted by Bashir Ahmad, personal assistant to the President of Nigeria, who has seen several coups since independence, including one led decades ago by President Muhammadu Buhari, who recently entered in the office by a vote.

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and Colombian President Iván Duque were some of those who denounced the protesters in Latin America, but both said they were confident that American democracy and the rule of law would prevail. .

“In this sad episode in the United States, supporters of fascism showed their real face: undemocratic and aggressive,” tweeted Luis Roberto Barroso, a Brazilian Supreme Court judge and head of the country’s electoral tribunal. He said he hoped that “American society and institutions would react strongly to this threat to democracy.”

Venezuela, which is under US sanctions, said events in Washington show that the US “is suffering what it has generated in other countries with its policy of aggression.”

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has survived US-backed opposition efforts to oust him despite allegations of human rights abuses, civil unrest and a humanitarian crisis that has forced millions to flee the oil-rich country. .

In Puerto Rico, a lot of people went on social media and joked that U.S. territory no longer wanted to be a state. They said independence seemed attractive for the first time in decades.

In fact, it was that pursuit of independence that marked one of the last times the United States Congress was violently assaulted. Four members of the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico opened fire on the floor of the House in March 1954, injuring five lawmakers.

The Italians saw the events in shock, as they had always regarded the US as the model of democracy and the country that rescued Italy after its fascist ancestry during World War II.

“This is the long-awaited result of Trumpism,” tweeted a retired Italian center-left politician, Pierluigi Castagnetti. “It simply came to our notice then. When politics is replaced by the deception and bigotry of the people, drift is inevitable.

European Parliament President David Sassoli, who heads one of the world’s largest legislatures, also denounced the Capitol scenes. The European Union has spent four grumpy years dealing with the Trump administration and its senior officials have repeatedly said they expect a better relationship with President-elect Joe Biden.

“It simply came to our notice then. No less. In Washington, ”tweeted Carl Bildt, the former prime minister of Sweden.

Turkey, a NATO ally that has at times disagreed with Washington, expressed concern over images of angry Trump supporters trying to thwart Biden’s certification as new president. The chaos forced lawmakers to be evicted from the building.

A statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry urged all parts of the United States to use “moderation and common sense.”

“We believe the United States will overcome this domestic political crisis with maturity,” the ministry said.

The ministry statement also urged Turkish citizens in the United States to stay away from crowds and demonstrations.

Trump launched a moderate call for peace long after the melee was underway, but did not immediately call on supporters to disperse. He later urged them to return home and called them “very special people.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was “deeply disturbed” by the events in the United States, Canada’s closest ally and neighbor.

“Violence will never succeed in overturning the will of the people. Democracy in the United States must be maintained – and it will be,” Trudeau tweeted.

Volkan Bozkir, chairman of the 193-member UN General Assembly, said he was saddened by the events. But, he tweeted, “I believe that peace and respect for democratic processes will prevail in our host country at this critical time.”

Polish President Andrzej Duda, who visited Trump twice in the White House and welcomed him to Poland, said on Twitter that his country had “full confidence in the power of American democracy.”