Early Saturday morning, the United States launched a “large-scale” military strike on Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. World leaders are weighing in and are divided on the United States’ actions.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the strike, saying, “The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line.” He called for the international community to “respond vigorously to this episode.”

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez echoed Silva’s call for an international response, saying, “Cuba denounces and urgently demands the reaction of the international community against the criminal attack by the U.S. on Venezuela.”

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Russia was “extremely alarmed” by the United States’ strike. “Such actions, if they actually occurred, constitute an unacceptable infringement on the sovereignty of an independent state, respect for which is a key principle of international law.”

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer neither condemned nor supported the strike, saying, “Well, I want to establish the facts first. I want to speak to President Trump. I want to speak to allies.” The prime minister did make clear that “the UK was not involved in any way in this operation.”

Like Starmer, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani weighed in without offering either endorsement or condemnation, stating, “I continue to follow closely and in coordination with the Prime Minister the developments of the situation in Venezuela with particular regard to the safety of the Italian community.”

Argentina’s President Javier Milei said: “Long live freedom, damn it,” “VIVA LA LIBERTAD CARAJO.”

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Milei’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno added, “Argentina trusts that these events represent a decisive advance against narcoterrorism that affects the region and, at the same time, open a stage that allows the Venezuelan people to fully recover democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights in accordance with the principles of international law, and put an end to the oppression exercised for years by the authoritarian regime.”

Ecuador’s leader Daniel Noboa Azin has a warning for all “narco criminals,” saying, “To all the narco chavista criminals, your time is coming. Your structure will completely collapse across the entire continent.” He then offered support to Maduro’s opposition, Maria Corina Machado: “To Maria Corina, Edmondo Gonzalez, and the Venezuelan people: it’s time to reclaim your country. You have an ally in Ecuador.”

Ukraine has emphasized the importance of democratic change in Venezuela.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico “strongly condemns and rejects” the United States’ strike in Venezuela and that the United States must end “all acts of aggression against the Venezuelan government and people.” President Trump said earlier this morning that he has offered Sheinbaum his support to “take out cartels” and then said “something has to be done in Mexico.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei said, “What’s important is one realizes an enemy wants to force something on one’s government or nation with false claims, they must stand firmly against that enemy. We won’t give in to them.” He added “We’ll bring the enemy to its knees.”

Trump ally and leader of Reform U.K. Nigel Farage said, “The American actions in Venezuela overnight are unorthodox and contrary to international law, but if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing. I hope the Venezuelan people can now turn a new leaf without Maduro.”

China responded through its Foreign Ministry, condemning the strike as a “hegemonic act.” In a statement, the ministry said it was “deeply shocked” by what it described as the United States’ “blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president.”

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

The global conversation around artificial intelligence is framed as a technology race.

Yes, America is in an AI race, but that race will be over before it even starts if we do not secure reliable fuel to power it.

From a technical advancement standpoint, the AI race is a challenge of intellect: algorithms, chips, and computing architecture.

From an energy standpoint, however, it is a question of wisdom: Do we have the wisdom to make the right decisions now, to prioritize and properly utilize the abundant, affordable, and reliable energy resources we already possess?

AI runs on massive, continuous amounts of electricity. The nations that can deliver power at scale, at the lowest cost, and with the highest reliability will lead not only in AI, but in manufacturing, economic growth, and national security.

China understands this reality. In fact, China now generates more than twice as much electricity as the United States and continues to expand power infrastructure at a pace the U.S. has not matched in years.

If America intends to lead in AI, we must prioritize natural gas. It is the only fuel source today that is readily deployable, scalable, reliable, and affordable.

For the first time in more than half a century, U.S. electricity demand is growing at a sustained rate. The Department of Energy estimates the U.S. will need 50 to 150 gigawatts of new electric capacity within the next decade, describing the challenge as the Manhattan Project of our time.

A single large data center can consume as much power as a heavy industrial facility. Data centers are modern-day industrial factories, operating 24/7 and requiring uninterrupted baseload power.

We must use wisdom when locating these facilities. Power generation can be built almost anywhere, but fuel cannot. Our grandfathers understood this. Steel mills and petrochemical plants were built near power plants, and power plants were built near fuel sources.

When new power demand is located far from the fuel source, costs rise, timelines stretch, and risks multiply. Long-haul transmission adds expense, energy loss, permitting complexity, disruption, and public opposition. Electricity is expensive not only to generate, but to move.

The most efficient solution is also the simplest: build new power demand on top of the fuel supply.

Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images

There are two regions in the U.S. that are uniquely equipped. More than 80% of U.S. natural gas production is concentrated in two strategic regions: the Gulf Coast and the Shale Crescent USA (Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania). If these three states were a country, they would be the third-largest natural gas producer in the world, producing roughly one-third of all U.S. natural gas.

Natural gas in the Shale Crescent is among the lowest-cost in the industrialized world, roughly three to four times cheaper than Europe and Asia, and among the lowest-priced in the United States.

For high-load users like data centers, AI infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing, proximity to reliable baseload power is a strategic advantage.

Across the country, data centers are already struggling to secure power. Utilities are issuing moratoria, interconnection queues stretch into the next decade, and grid operators warn that demand is outpacing supply.

America cannot out-AI China if China out-powers the United States.

The path forward is not mysterious, but it does require political will and wisdom. Natural gas must be treated as a strategic national asset, and the lowest-cost, lowest-risk path forward is to locate new data centers and power-intensive infrastructure directly on top of the fuel supply.

If we make that choice now, we can secure the energy foundation our AI future requires.

* * *

Nathan Lord is the President of Shale Crescent USA, a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage business growth and create high wage jobs in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Nathan is a graduate of Marietta College and earned his MBA from Liberty University.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.