Pretoria says the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) failing to act decisively against the US would be tantamount to inviting anarchy.
South Africa says the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) failing to act decisively against the US after it forcibly took Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilla out of Caracas, would be tantamount to inviting anarchy.
A US assault Saturday saw commandos swoop in on helicopters, backed by fighter jets and naval forces, to capture them in a military operation that paved the path for Washington’s plans to control the oil-rich country.
New York court
On Monday, Maduro was escorted by heavily armed law enforcement officers to a courthouse in New York, having been transported by helicopter and armoured car.
Maduro and Cilla pleaded not guilty to drug charges while the Security Council was debating the actions of the US.
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Violations
Acting deputy permanent representative Jonathan Passmoor, who delivered Pretoria’s statement to the first Security Council meeting of 2026, said the unilateral action by the US violated the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of Venezuela.
“If we do not stand up to the sovereign rights of any nations/States being undermined and wantonly violated, then which one of us is safe or guaranteed protection by the principles of the Charter and international law?
“Failure to act decisively against such violations is tantamount to inviting anarchy, and normalising the use of force and military might as the main form of discourse in international politics.
“This would be a regression into a world preceding the United Nations, a world that gave us two brutal world wars, and an international system prone to severe structural instability and lawlessness. We cannot afford to proceed into a complex future without the stability and protection afforded by international law,” Passmore said.
WATCH: SA speaking to the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Venezuela
[ Watch] Statement by the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations Security Council Meeting on the situation in Venezuela delivered by Mr Jonathan Passmoor Acting Deputy Permanent Representative https://t.co/DPPXBKIAxO pic.twitter.com/KuQZdJqBVa
— Chrispin Phiri 🇿🇦 (@Chrispin_JPhiri) January 5, 2026
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US hits back
However, US Ambassador Mike Waltz said President Donald Trump would not stand for Maduro’s alleged involvement in flooding the US with drugs.
“Maduro is not an indicted drug trafficker. He was an illegitimate so-called president. He was not a head of state. For years, Maduro and his cronies have manipulated Venezuela’s electoral system to maintain their illegitimate grip on power.
“Nicholas Maduro is responsible for attacks on the people of the United States, for destabilising the Western Hemisphere and illegitimately repressing the people of Venezuela,” Waltz said.
Maduro support
China, Russia and Iran, which have longstanding ties with Maduro’s government, were quick to condemn the operation. Some US allies, including the EU, expressed alarm.
China called for Maduro to be “immediately released” in a condemnation of the US operation, which its foreign ministry said was a “clear violation of international law.”
Iran said on Monday that its relations with close ally Venezuela remained unchanged and called for Maduro’s release.
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