South Africans Protest at U.S. Embassy Over Military Action in Venezuela

Hundreds of South Africans gathered outside the United States Embassy in Pretoria on Thursday to protest recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela and the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, organisers said.

Demonstrators holding banners and chanting slogans condemned what they described as the U.S. violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty. “We are here to send a very clear message that the way in which the U.S. is behaving is unacceptable and that South Africa will not tolerate it,” Muhammed Desai of the South Africa Latin America Association told reporters.

The protest was organised by a coalition of trade unions, political groups, student movements and civil society organisations. Many in the crowd called for the immediate release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan government.

Solly Mapaila, secretary-general of the South African Communist Party, said the United States was acting out of interest in Venezuela’s oil resources and urged continued opposition to what he called external interference. Protesters carried placards reading “Hands off Venezuela” and “Free Maduro.”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has also publicly rejected the U.S. military action, describing it as undermining the territorial integrity of a United Nations member state. Ramaphosa has urged the United Nations Security Council to take decisive action to uphold peace and security.

Officials from the Economic Community of West African States have likewise called for respect for the independence and territorial integrity of Venezuela following the recent U.S. operation.

SOURCE: Reuters