Political parties in South Africa accused the US of violating international law by forcibly removing a sitting president from office.
The United States has set a frenetic international political tone for 2026 following its surprise capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
South African political bodies reacted angrily to the news of Maduro’s detention, while some Western leaders clarified their stance that Maduro’s position in office was illegitimate.
US forces raided Maduro’s Caracas compound on Saturday morning, arresting him and his wife based on an indictment issued in a New York state court.
Maduro arrived in New York City on Sunday morning, where he is set to face charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the indictment, which details charges against Maduro and five others — his wife, his son, two Venezuelan government officials and a Venezuelan drug trafficker.
“[Maduro] allows cocaine-fueled corruption to flourish for his own benefit, for the benefit of members of his ruling regime, and for the benefit of his family members,’ the indictment reads.
Trump openly admitted that Venezuela’s oil industry would be run by US oil companies, while his administration would “run” Venezuela until “a proper transition” was achieved.
‘Dangerous precedent’
uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party rejected the premise that Maduro’s capture was to enforce US law, but was “regime change by force” and a seizure of Venezuelan resources.
“These actions constitute nothing less than a full-scale act of war, an illegal invasion of a sovereign state, and a flagrant violation of the United Nations (UN) Charter, international law, and the most basic principles governing relations between states,” the party stated on Sunday.
The US indictment also listed five drug cartels operating in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico, while Trump, in his address on Sunday, also accused Cuba of playing a significant role.
“The MK Party warns that the language used to justify this invasion, unproven criminal allegations, humanitarian posturing and manufactured security threats, sets an extremely dangerous precedent for the Global South,” the party stated.
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The EFF echoed the MK party’s sentiment that the Caracas raid was a “blatant act of imperial aggression” that needed to be condemned.
“If allowed to stand, it signals that any powerful state may invade, bomb, abduct and remove the leadership of sovereign countries without consent, oversight or legitimacy.
“Venezuela has, for decades, stood tall against imperial domination and refused to surrender its commitment to socialism and freedom to foreign powers.
“History has shown that leaders and movements rooted in popular struggle do not disappear simply because imperial powers declare them defeated,” the EFF stated.
Sentiments from the West
European leaders clarified that Maduro’s right to lead Venezuela was in dispute after several allegedly rigged elections.
“The Venezuelan people are today rid of Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship and can only rejoice. By seizing power and trampling on fundamental freedoms, Nicolás Maduro gravely undermined the dignity of his own people,” French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X.
“Nicolás Maduro has led his country into ruin. The last election was falsified. We—and many other states around the world—have therefore not recognised the presidency. Maduro played a problematic role in the region,” stated German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that her government had not recognised Maduro’s self-proclaimed electoral “victory”, but weighed up the US’ use of force.
“Consistent with Italy’s historic position, the government believes that external military action is not the path to take to put an end to totalitarian regimes, but at the same time considers legitimate [the] intervention of a defensive nature,” Meloni wrote.
In North America, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that the US’ actions could provide a new future for Venezuela.
“Canada has not recognised the illegitimate regime of Maduro since it stole the 2018 election. The Canadian government, therefore, welcomes the opportunity for freedom, democracy, peace, and prosperity for the Venezuelan people,” stated Carney.
‘We will live to regret our silence’
Much like the EFF and MK, Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi argued the events in Caracas were a violation of international law.
“None of our countries has the right to go and invade a country, capture its president, abduct that president out of that country and cause instability in that country and in the region,” he said.
He accused Trump of leading a “rogue state” engaged in “acts of piracy”, and urged the international community to condemn the removal of Maduro and convene an urgent UN Security Council meeting.
“Those of us who say nothing and vacillate in the face of this illegal action, we will live to regret our silence and our complicity in what happens next,” said Zibi.
The UN has not yet called for any special meetings, although secretary-general Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Annalina Baerbock called for calm.
“A peaceful, safe and just world for everyone is only possible if the rule of law prevails instead of might makes right,” stated Baerbock.
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