Former South African ambassador to the United States Welile Nhlapo has condemned President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela as unlawful and dangerous, saying Washington’s military intervention violates international law and the United Nations Charter. Image:CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP The actions ofUnited States President Donald Trumptowards Venezuela are “unacceptable, amount to bullying and place Washington on the wrong side of international law,” says former South African ambassador to the US Welile Nhlapo. Speaking toIOLon Monday, January 5, 2026, Nhlapo weighed in on the escalating crisis in Venezuela following US military action and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
“I think the first issue is that this kind of military aggression is not acceptable, just in principle, as a way of conducting international relations,” Nhlapo said. He pointed to the US national security doctrine released in December, which frames the Western Hemisphere as America’s sphere of influence, drawing on the Monroe Doctrine. “That is a broader approach, but they have also indicated that Venezuela, like Canada and Denmark in relation to Greenland, is a country with resources they believe belong to them,” he said. Nhlapo said the US had suggested it could reclaim such resources “at any stage”, without a clear legal basis.
