Strong condemnation of US military action against Venezuela
The party added that the U.S. aims to seize strategic Venezuelan resources to impose a government of its choosing.
KATHMANDU: Various political parties, civil society groups, and labor unions in South Africa have strongly condemned the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, calling it a “serious violation of international law.”
In a statement released on Saturday, the South African Communist Party described the U.S.-led military action as “criminal,” asserting that it blatantly breaches international law and the United Nations Charter. The party characterized the reported abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife as “international kidnapping.”
According to the party, the U.S. operation is the culmination of long-standing threats and hostile rhetoric against Venezuela, posing risks to international peace and security and endangering millions of civilians.
The party added that the U.S. aims to seize strategic Venezuelan resources to impose a government of its choosing.
Civil society organizations also condemned the U.S. bombing in a joint statement, calling it an illegal interference with Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in direct violation of the UN Charter. They emphasized that the operation targets the Venezuelan people and its democratically elected government, motivated by control over the country’s oil resources.
“These acts must be opposed,” the statement said. “As South Africans, we stand with peace-loving people worldwide to halt intervention and end the U.S. assault in Venezuela.”
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) likewise denounced the U.S. military action as unlawful. “This is not diplomacy, it is not law enforcement, and it does not promote democracy. It is a naked attack, a regime-change war, and a criminal imperialist policy,” the union said, urging progressive forces worldwide to condemn the operation and calling on the UN to support Venezuela.
