The African National Congress (ANC) wants the US to immediately and unconditionally release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from custody, urging the United Nations and the United Nations Security Council to uphold international law, prevent further escalation and a possible humanitarian crisis, and ensure the protection of civilian lives.

The party condemned what it described as acts of aggression, that violates international law and national sovereignty, as well as the principles governing peaceful relations between states.

ANC National Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said the kidnapping of Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, undermines the United Nations Charter and threatens global peace and stability at a time when the world requires cooperation, restraint and dialogue.

“The principles of sovereign equality, non-interference and peaceful resolution of disputes are the bedrock of a just international order. Their selective application erodes trust, fuels instability and disproportionately harms developing countries and oppressed people across the globe,” she stated.

The ANC further cautioned that the current situation must be understood within the broader economic and geopolitical struggle, noting that Venezuela is being targeted because of its insistence on sovereignty over its natural resources and economic policy choices.

“…in a similar vein, the ANC’s own historic struggle for economic transformation, equitable access to resources and fair trade relations continues to face resistance from reactionary forces opposed to fundamental change. This confirms that the real contest is over economic justice and who benefits from global wealth,” she said.

Bhengu said the world must reject all actions that undermine democracy, international law, and human dignity and added that the interdependence of nations demands cooperation rather than confrontation, and development rather than domination.