The African National Congress (ANC) has strongly condemned what it describes as “imperialist aggression” by the United States against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, warning that the alleged actions threaten international law, national sovereignty and global stability.
During a press briefing in North West on Tuesday, the party accused the United States of violating the United Nations Charter following what it claims was the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores and their son, Nicolás Ernesto Maduro. The ANC said such actions undermine the principles that govern peaceful relations between states and risk escalating international tensions at a time when the world requires dialogue and cooperation.
“The kidnapping of Comrade President Nicolás Maduro, his wife, Comrade Cilia Flores and son… undermines the United Nations Charter and threatens global peace and stability,” the ANC said.
The party expressed solidarity with the people of Venezuela, who it said have been subjected to sustained political, economic and diplomatic pressure. Drawing on its own history as a liberation movement, the ANC framed the situation within a broader struggle against colonialism, apartheid and external domination.
“As a liberation movement forged in struggle, the ANC recognises that such aggression is seldom accidental,” the party said, arguing that global conflicts are often driven by competition over strategic resources, market control and resistance to independent development paths chosen by countries in the Global South.
The ANC reiterated its long-held position that international law must be applied consistently and without selectivity. It stressed that sovereign equality, non-interference and the peaceful resolution of disputes are fundamental to a just international order, warning that selective application of these principles erodes trust and disproportionately harms developing nations.
The party also situated the Venezuela dispute within what it described as a wider economic and geopolitical contest. According to the ANC, Venezuela has been targeted because of its insistence on maintaining sovereignty over its natural resources and pursuing independent economic policies. It drew parallels with South Africa’s own struggle for economic transformation, equitable access to resources and fair trade relations.
“This confirms that the real contest is over economic justice and who benefits from global wealth,” the party said.
Quoting former president Nelson Mandela, the ANC said its position is guided by a commitment to oppose injustice wherever it occurs. “We fought injustice wherever we found it, no matter how large or how small,” Mandela once said, a principle the party says continues to inform its international outlook.
The ANC called for restraint, de-escalation and a return to dialogue through multilateral institutions, urging the United Nations and the UN Security Council to act “swiftly and decisively” to uphold international law, prevent further escalation and avert a humanitarian crisis.
The party also welcomed expressions of solidarity from what it termed progressive states and forces within multilateral platforms, including recent G20 engagements. However, the party cautioned that fragmented or hesitant responses would be insufficient to counter imperialism, calling instead for unity among Global South nations.
In a direct appeal, the ANC urged peace-loving people in South Africa, across Africa and around the world, including within the United States, to call for the immediate and unconditional release of President Maduro. It warned that war, sanctions and economic coercion carry devastating humanitarian consequences that must remain central to the global conscience.
The statement concluded by reaffirming the ANC’s commitment to a just, multipolar and rules-based international order grounded in equality between nations, respect for sovereignty and solidarity among peoples. Quoting the Freedom Charter, the party said peace and friendship among nations remain core principles of its foreign policy vision.
“There shall be peace and friendship,” the Charter states, a vision the ANC says can only be realised through collective action, cooperation rather than confrontation, and development rather than domination.
