World leaders are shocked by the storming of the US Capitol

Leaders around the world on Wednesday condemned the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump, expressing shock at the chaos unfolding in a country they once relied on for global leadership.

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

Other allies were similarly appalled at what they described as an attack on American democracy, although some said they believed that American democratic institutions would withstand the turmoil. Some leaders chose Trump for harsh criticism.

“Trump and his supporters must finally accept the decision of US voters and stop trampling on democracy,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter. “From inflammatory words come violent acts.” He added that “contempt for democratic institutions is disastrous.”

“The beauty of democracy?” with a shrugging emoji, the response was tweeted by Bashir Ahmad, a personal assistant to the President of Nigeria, who has witnessed several coups d’état since independence – including one led decades ago by President Muhammadu Buhari, who recently entered the office via a vote .

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

“In this sad episode in the US, supporters of fascism showed their real face: anti-democratic and aggressive,” tweeted Luis Roberto Barroso, Brazil’s Supreme Court judge and head of the country’s electoral court, saying he hoped that “American society and institutions are responding vigorously to this threat to democracy.”

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

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

In Puerto Rico, many people took to social media and joked that the US territory no longer wanted a state. Independence, they said, looked attractive for the first time in decades.

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

Italians watched the events in shock as they always viewed the US as the model of democracy and as the country that saved Italy after its fascist descent during World War II.

“This is the widely anticipated outcome of Trumpism,” tweeted retired Italian center-left politician Pierluigi Castagnetti. “And unfortunately it doesn’t end today. When politics is replaced by deceit and fanaticism of the people, the deviation is inevitable. “

President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, who heads one of the world’s greatest lawmakers, also denounced the scenes in the Capitol. The European Union has spent four grumpy years with the Trump administration, and its top officials have repeatedly said they look forward to a better relationship under President-elect Joe Biden.

‘This is an uprising. Nothing less. In Washington, ”tweeted Carl Bildt, a former Prime Minister of Sweden.

Turkey, a NATO ally who was at times at odds with Washington, expressed concern at the images of angry Trump supporters trying to thwart Biden’s certification as the new president. The chaos forced lawmakers to leave the building.

A statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry urged all parties in the United States to use “moderate and common sense.”

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

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

Trump made a reluctant call for peace long after the fight was underway, but did not immediately ask supporters to disperse. Later he urged them to go home, calling them “very special people.”

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

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

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

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