The ANC has condemned what it described as acts of aggression against Venezuela, warning that such actions amount to a grave violation of international law, national sovereignty and the principles of peaceful coexistence among states. Briefing journalists in Rustenburg on Tuesday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores and their son Nicolás Ernesto Maduro undermined the UN Charter and posed a serious threat to global peace and stability at a time when the world urgently needed co-operation, restraint and dialogue. The US conducted a large-scale military strike against Venezuela and captured Maduro and his wife, who were flown out of the country on January 3.
Maduro, his wife, son and accomplices are accused of engaging in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and partnering with cartels designated as terrorist groups. However, Mbalula said Venezuela was being targeted because of its insistence on sovereignty over its natural resources and economic policy choices. “The ANC expresses its solidarity with the people of Venezuela, who continue to endure sustained political, economic and diplomatic pressure,” Mbalula said.
“As a liberation movement forged in struggle against colonialism, apartheid and external domination, the ANC recognises that such aggression is seldom accidental. It is often driven by contests over strategic resources, control of markets and resistance to the independent development paths chosen by sovereign nations of the Global South.” The party has urged the UN and the UN Security Council to act swiftly and decisively to uphold international law, prevent further escalation and a humanitarian crisis, and ensure protection of civilian lives. Mbalula said international law must be respected by all states, without exception or selectivity.
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“The principles of sovereign equality, non-interference and peaceful resolution of disputes are the bedrock of a just international order. Their selective application erodes trust, fuels instability and disproportionately harms developing countries and oppressed people across the globe. “The world must reject all actions that undermine democracy, international law and human dignity.
The devastating humanitarian consequences of war, sanctions and economic coercion must remain central to the conscience of the global community. “The ANC reaffirms its commitment to a just, multipolar and rules-based international order grounded in equality between nations, respect for sovereignty and solidarity among peoples.” He added that the interdependence of nations demanded co-operation rather than confrontation, and development rather than domination.
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