World leaders, horrified by American riots, urge peaceful transfer

Tears and bullets in the US Capitol building. Outrage, confusion and condemnation of leaders around the world.

“What is happening is wrong,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement. “Democracy, the right of people to vote, to have their voices heard and then to keep that decision peacefully, should never be undone by a mafia.”

The chaotic scenes of the assault on the building at the center of American democracy by angry supporters of President Donald Trump are usually associated with countries where popular uprisings overthrow a dictator. The Arab Spring, for the moment, or the velvet revolution in Czechoslovakia.

But this time it was an attempt by American citizens to stop a peaceful transition to power after a democratic election in a country that many in the world have seen as a model of democratic governance.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “saddened by the events of the United States Capitol,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. “In these circumstances, it is important for political leaders to impress their supporters on the need to refrain from violence, as well as to respect democratic processes and the rule of law.”

Several countries, allies and antagonists of America, issued travel warnings to their citizens.

Australia warned its citizens to avoid protests after what Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described as “quite disturbing scenes” in the United States.

“The riots and protests we have seen in Washington, DC, have been terribly distressing. They are very worrying, ”Morrison told reporters shortly after the US Congress resumed its proceedings late Wednesday, Washington time.

“It simply came to our notice then. They are a great friend of Australia and are one of the largest democracies in the world. And so … our thoughts are with them and we hope for a peaceful transition, “he said.

The Chinese embassy in the United States also warned its citizens about the “serious” situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the “large-scale protest march” in Washington that prompted the city government to impose a touch of remains.

“The Chinese embassy in the United States reminds U.S. U.S. citizens to closely monitor their local security and virus situations, increase their vigilance, be aware of their personal security, and consider them deeply before visiting spaces. public, “the embassy said in a website notice.

Leaders around the world condemned the assault on the United States Capitol.

“Disgraceful scenes in the United States Congress,” tweeted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a staunch ally of the United States for generations. “The United States defends 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, this pursuit of independence marked one of the last times the U.S. 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.

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.

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.