French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejoiced at America’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, saying his ouster was long overdue.

“The Venezuelan people are today rid of the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro and can only rejoice at this,” Mr Macron wrote in a statement Saturday.

The French leader said Mr Maduro, himself, rubbished the dignity of the Venezuelan people with his disregard of fundamental rights and freedoms.

“By seizing power and trampling on fundamental freedoms, Nicolás Maduro has dealt a grave blow to the dignity of his own people,” said the French president.

Mr Macron affirmed that France will recognise Edmundo González Urrutia as president in what he hoped would be a peaceful transition of power.

Mr Urrutia contested and lost the 2024 presidential election to Mr Maduro, an election observers deemed fraudulent.

Similarly, UK’s Mr Starmer pledged his nation’s support for the arrest of Mr Maduro, whom he had long regarded as an “illegitimate president.”

“We shed no tears about the end of his regime,” Mr Starmer wrote in a social media post on Saturday.

Mr Starmer said the UK will engage its U.S. counterparts to seek “a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”

In a mission codenamed “Operation Armour Shield,” U.S. special forces successfully captured President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, subsequently transporting them to New York to stand trial for drug-related charges.

Videos on social media showed Venezuelans flooding the streets to celebrate Mr Maduro’s capture.