Why Africa's condemnation of Maduro's abduction matters Submitted by Azad Essa on Tue, 01/06/2026 - 10:57 African states cannot stop the US assault on Venezuela, but their sharp rebuke signals the erosion of western authority and growing concern such violations become the norm South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Brics Summit in 2023 (Reuters) Off There are few things as unambiguously illegal in international affairs as the events that took place over the weekend. In the aftermath of the raid that saw the US conduct military strikes on Caracas, killing several dozen civilians and abducting Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, attention turned to how the world would digest a crime of such magnitude. In a world still seething from genocide in Gaza and Sudan , who could let yet another front of global destabilisation pass without protest? There seemed to be no shortage of condemnation, especially outside the western world. While some of the strongest statements came out of Latin America, with Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay issuing a joint statement (curiously along with Spain), another cohort of strong rebukes came from an unlikely source: the African continent. "History has repeatedly demonstrated that military invasions against sovereign states only produce instability and exacerbate crises," the South African government stated on 5 January, adding that "the illegal and unilateral use of force […] undermines the stability of the international order". Similarly, the Namibian Ministry of International Relations and Trade said it had "learned with great shock about the capture" of Maduro and his wife by the US government, calling it "a violation of Venezuela's sovereignty and international law". In a world still seething from genocide in Gaza and Sudan, who could let yet another front of global destabilisation pass without protest? "Namibia reaffirms its steadfast friendship, solidarity, and cooperation with Venezuela, based on a shared history of anti-colonial struggle for self-determination and independence," it added . Burkina Faso, Chad and Ghana also issued stinging rebukes of Washington's actions. Even the African Union (AU) appeared to awaken from a deep slumber to state that it had been "following with grave concern the recent developments in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, including reports of the abduction of the President of the Republic, Nicolas Maduro, and military attacks on Venezuelan institutions". Now contrast these statements with those made by western governments. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would want to speak to US President Donald Trump before passing judgment. Germany 's foreign ministry called on "all parties to avoid an escalation of the situation", even though there was clearly only one aggressor. The response from the rest of the West was embarrassingly tepid. Then there were others, such as Hungary , which followed Israel in celebrating Maduro's abduction by US forces. Why the condemnations matter For the record, the condemnations from a handful of African states will not alter events in Venezuela, nor will they tilt global power. These statements will not break the models of global finance, nor will they end resource extraction and economic exploitation taking place on their own soil. From Gaza to Venezuela, the US has been unmasked as the serial villain Jonathan Cook Read More » None of these statements is meant to imply that these African countries are exemplary actors or purveyors of moral good. Rather, the condemnations signal the erosion of western authority, as well as a deeper concern that such precedents may turn into international norms. Talk has already turned to Iran and Greenland being next . In Africa, Trump has 54 countries to choose from, or 55 with Somaliland now thrown in the mix. In a context of shrinking multilateralism, widening power imbalances rooted in economic and military might, and where African states are specifically subject to donor pressure, aid conditionality and diplomatic bullying, there is something to be said about the political act of condemnation. Taking on the US in full view - especially Trump - can bring severe economic and political consequences. Long before Maduro was ousted for his reportedly " public dancing ", South Africa had been accused of aligning with Hamas and then hit with the absurd accusation of conducting a " white genocide " in response to its ICJ case against Israel. Alongside efforts to delegitimise South Africa, Washington slapped 30 percent tariffs on the country and ruled out Pretoria's participation at the G20 summit in the US later this year. Given what we have seen throughout the genocide in Gaza, it is not difficult to imagine the US empire escalating such punitive measures against a state like South Africa, whether through sweeping economic sanctions, political assassinations or even attempts to engineer a government insurrection. Most recently, the Trump administration expanded its travel ban to 39 countries, including Mali and Burkina Faso , a mostly arbitrary move that pulled yet another lever of marginalisation and punishment. Last July, the US imposed sanctions on UN special rapporteur F rancesca Albanese after she called on the ICC to investigate and prosecute US companies complicit in Israel's genocide. She became the first UN expert to face such retaliation from Washington. And so this urge to condemn does not come from any sense of naivety. The world is littered with the gravestones of western double standards and hypocrisy - from Vietnam to Iraq , Libya and Gaza. African countries are fully aware. A question of consent On Gaza, many African countries struggled to speak plainly, with only a handful eventually backing Pretoria's ICJ case against Israel or later joining the Hague Group. It is not a coincidence that several of the African countries speaking on Venezuela today are the same states that spoke with clarity... on Israel's devastation of Gaza It is not a coincidence, then, that several of the African countries speaking on Venezuela today are the same states that spoke with clarity - even if actions, like failing to end trade relations, were far from perfect - on Israel's devastation of Gaza. It was Chad that recalled its ambassador in November 2023. It was also Namibia that issued strong condemnations of Israel's actions in Gaza. While Venezuela did not join the Hague Group, it expressed support for South Africa's ICJ case and participated in gatherings with the bloc to consolidate measures against Israel. Maduro also proposed a Global Summit for Peace to demand the right of the Palestinian people to return and the establishment of a state with East Jerusalem as its capital. He also called for nuclear disarmament of Israel. But the response from several African states is notable for other reasons too. Venezuela extends the lesson of Gaza into the western hemisphere Read More » Their condemnation forms part of a shrinking pool of countries willing to challenge a largely western narrative about legality and intervention. They remain among the few forces - at the international level - that have at least attempted to puncture the dominant narrative that the US government's actions were necessary for its security and for the benefit of the Venezuelan people. We have heard and seen this all before. For those who have survived US interventions framed as benevolence, the story is not new. Arguably, the daring mission to kidnap Maduro in Caracas was particularly novel. And so, in this landscape, these African countries' response to Venezuela matters not because it will shift the balance of power, but because it registers a refusal to comply. And in a world of such unequal power, refusing to provide consent may be the only thing left. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye. Venezuela crisis Opinion Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:29 Update Date Override 0