Africa Sides with Venezuela After US Military Action
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that a military operation had led to the detention of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. He vowed Washington would maintain control over Venezuela “for the time being,” deploying American troops if necessary.
The announcement triggered swift backlash across Africa, where governments demanded respect for sovereignty and voiced solidarity with Caracas.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa “utterly” rejected the US action, saying it “undermined the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a UN member state.” On Tuesday, he called for the immediate release of Maduro and Flores, urging the UN Security Council to take “decisive action” to uphold its mandate and safeguard peace.
At the Security Council on Monday, South Africa warned that the “unilateral” strikes and “abduction” of Venezuela’s leaders “wantonly” violated sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. The delegation said the actions stood “in stark contrast of our established legal norms.”
“Once again, the belief that might is right, is reinforced and diplomacy is undermined,” South Africa added. It cautioned that history shows “military invasions” of sovereign states fuel instability, citing Libya, Iraq and African conflicts where foreign intervention weakened governance institutions.
The country stressed that allegations of governance failures, human rights abuses or criminal conduct by a head of state “cannot justify” breaching the UN Charter’s prohibition on force.
Speaking for the A3 bloc — the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Liberia — the Liberian delegation warned the developments threatened Venezuela’s stability and regional security. “The complex situation in Venezuela requires a comprehensive response that is both inclusive and nationally owned,” it said, adding that dialogue among Venezuelans was the only path to a lasting resolution.
Eritrea, representing the 16-member Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, condemned the US “act of aggression,” citing armed attacks on civilian and military sites and the “illegal abduction” of Maduro and Flores. The group urged the Security Council, General Assembly and other international bodies to act quickly to protect Venezuela’s sovereignty and prevent escalation that could destabilize global peace.
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