JOHANNESBURG — SOUTH Africa has once again asserted itself as a principled voice against global injustice, becoming the first country to stage an emergency protest at a United States embassy over what organisers describe as the unlawful invasion of Venezuela and the kidnapping of its President, Nicolás Maduro.
The protest, scheduled to take place at the US Embassy in Pretoria on Thursday (tomorrow), is framed as a stand not only in solidarity with Venezuela but also as a broader warning to the world about the dangers posed by a global superpower that, critics argue, increasingly threatens entire neighbourhoods, weaker states and independent nations with impunity.
Organisers say the demonstration reflects mounting international alarm over a pattern of behaviour in which the United States is accused of using military force, economic coercion and political intimidation to unlawfully seize control of other nations’ natural resources, impose illegal sanctions and interfere directly in domestic affairs.
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, is viewed as the latest target in a long line of countries resisting external domination.
The protest is expected to resonate far beyond South Africa, potentially triggering similar actions across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Australia and North America.
Activists warn that silence in the face of such actions normalises lawlessness and opens the door to a world governed by brute force rather than international law.
A broad coalition of South African trade unions, political parties, civil society organisations and solidarity movements will lead the emergency picket on Thursday, 8 January 2026, outside the US Embassy in Arcadia, Pretoria.
Among the convenors are COSATU, the South African Communist Party (SACP), the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA), NEHAWU, POPCRU, Africa4Palestine, the South Africa Latin America Association (SALA) and Anti-Fascist International (South Africa Chapter).
According to the SACP, the protest seeks to condemn what it calls the US military assault on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the abduction of President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
In a statement, organisers described Washington’s conduct as lawless, predatory and dangerous to global peace.
“The actions of the United States violate international law, the United Nations Charter and the sovereignty of independent nations,” the statement read.
“Kidnapping heads of state, imposing illegal sanctions, forcibly extracting mineral wealth and attempting to dictate political outcomes are acts of international thuggery.”
Protesters also raised alarm over the growing trend of foreign leaders being forcibly removed from their countries or targeted for prosecution outside their national jurisdictions, while selectively being subjected to international legal processes such as the International Criminal Court.
Activists argue this double standard erodes trust in global institutions and turns international justice into a political weapon.
Beyond Venezuela, countries such as Cuba, Iran, Syria, Palestine, Yemen and North Korea remain under sustained pressure through sanctions, military presence or political destabilisation.
Concerns have also been raised over renewed threats directed at resource-rich regions such as Greenland and Colombia, reinforcing fears that strategic minerals and energy resources are central to modern conflicts.
Organisers warned that the world is approaching a dangerous crossroads. If superpowers are allowed to operate without accountability, the future global village would resemble a lawless battlefield governed by survival of the fittest, where might replaces right and sovereignty becomes meaningless.
“In such a world, powerful nations would dictate the internal affairs of weaker states, seize resources by force, remove leaders at will and face no consequences,” the statement said. “No country would be safe. Today it is Venezuela. Tomorrow it could be any of us.”
The picket will begin at 12:00 CAT outside the US Embassy at 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia. Organisers called on workers, students, faith groups and peace-loving citizens to attend, stressing that the protest is about defending international law, national sovereignty and the right of all peoples to determine their own future without coercion.
“Yesterday it was Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. Today it is Cuba and Venezuela. Unless challenged, tomorrow the entire world will live under the rule of fear, force and plunder,” the statement concluded.
– CAJ News
