South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, former Nigerian Minister of External Affairs Bolaji Akinyemi, and a cross-section of scholars, on Tuesday, condemned the U.S. government under President Donald Trump over the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, describing the action as a violation of international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Maduro and his wife were captured by U.S. forces on January 3 and indicted on charges linking them to a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
When arraigned on Monday at a New York federal court, Maduro pleaded not guilty to four criminal counts, including narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
Ramaphosa made his position known on his official X account on Tuesday, stating that South Africa stood in solidarity with the Venezuelan people.
“We reject utterly the actions embarked upon by the United States and we stand with the people of Venezuela,” he said.
He stressed that South Africa’s response is guided by its commitment to international law and the United Nations Charter, noting that the U.S. action undermined Venezuela’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“It is our commitment to international law and the United Nations Charter that informs our deep concern at the actions of the United States in Venezuela, which have undermined the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the UN member state called Venezuela,” Ramaphosa said.
The South African president also called for urgent intervention by the United Nations, urging the Security Council to act to preserve global peace and security.
“We reiterate our call for decisive action by the United Nations Security Council to fulfil its mandate and advance peace and security,” he added.
Similarly, Akinyemi, alongside other scholars of international relations and political science, slammed Trump over the “illegal” capture of Maduro during a roundtable organised by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Akinyemi questioned the authority under which the U.S. President could enter another country and extract its leader.
“Maduro was not a good man; he was not a saint. In any case, the election in Venezuela was not free and fair – anyway, we have never had a free and fair election in our own country. However, the issue is the legality of the United States’ invasion of Venezuela. Nobody gave the United States the responsibility to go on extractive duties in another country. If you were to do so, even Trump himself should be a target,” he said.
