The actions of United States President Donald Trump towards Venezuela are “unacceptable, amount to bullying and place Washington on the wrong side of international law,” says former South African ambassador to the US Welile Nhlapo.
Speaking to on Monday, January 5, 2026, Nhlapo weighed in on the escalating crisis in Venezuela following US military action and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
“I think the first issue is that this kind of military aggression is not acceptable, just in principle, as a way of conducting international relations,” Nhlapo said.
He pointed to the US national security doctrine released in December, which frames the Western Hemisphere as America’s sphere of influence, drawing on the Monroe Doctrine.
“That is a broader approach, but they have also indicated that Venezuela, like Canada and Denmark in relation to Greenland, is a country with resources they believe belong to them,” he said.
Nhlapo said the US had suggested it could reclaim such resources “at any stage”, without a clear legal basis.
A similar argument, he said, had been applied to Venezuela, alongside claims that the issue was a law enforcement matter.
Maduro was indicted in New York on charges including drug trafficking and weapons offences and remains wanted by US authorities.
“They once impounded his plane when it went for servicing and issued a $50 million bounty on his head,” Nhlapo said.
Washington has justified its actions by citing drug trafficking, saying it deployed military capacity around Venezuela and attacked boats allegedly used by smugglers.
US officials have also accused Maduro of sending criminals, including people released from mental institutions, to destabilise the US – a narrative Nhlapo said lacked credibility.
“But nonetheless, they acted on that basis, calling it a law enforcement operation. In reality, it is an invasion of a sovereign state by a foreign country and the abduction of a sitting, democratically elected president,” he said.
“Whether they recognise the outcome of those elections or not, they do not have the right to intervene in this manner.”
Nhlapo said the actions violated the UN Charter, particularly principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also argued Trump had breached US domestic law.
“Only Congress can authorise military action against a foreign sovereign state. Congress was not notified and did not give permission,” he said.
He added that impeachment discussions were now on the agenda in Washington.
Nhlapo said the US had effectively occupied Venezuela and announced it would run the country, allowing American companies previously expelled to return and operate oil refineries.
“All of this is because Trump wants to take over the oil of that country,” he said.
He said that US refineries are designed to process Venezuela’s heavy sour crude and that Caracas had increasingly shifted oil trade towards China, India and Russia, often outside the US dollar system.
“Once you challenge the petrodollar, that becomes a red line for the United States,” he said, referring to the 1970s agreement that entrenched dollar-based oil trade.
Venezuela’s interest in closer alignment with BRICS nations, he added, further heightened tensions.
With Canada the only other major producer of similar crude, Nhlapo said US tariff disputes with Ottawa had complicated access.
“They need that oil to get their economy going, and right now they’re stuck,” he said.
Trump has said the US will temporarily “run” Venezuela until a “safe” transition of power is arranged and has invited American oil firms to invest billions to rebuild the country’s “badly broken” infrastructure.
He justified the move as necessary to combat “narco-terrorism”, accusing Maduro of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns.
Maduro was first indicted in March 2020 but remained in power until his capture by US forces.
Asked whether the US could act without consequences, Nhlapo said the issue was now before the UN Security Council following a request by Venezuela, supported by other states.
“There has been a flagrant violation of the UN Charter,” he said, though he acknowledged the US would likely veto any resolution against it.
“Still, it will be recorded. Countries feel vulnerable because if this behaviour is normalised, they could be next.”
Nhlapo said the selective application of international law by powerful states had undermined global institutions, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
“When it suits them, they apply the law to others. When it doesn’t, they ignore it,” he said.
He described Trump’s actions as “a very dangerous moment in our history”, warning that the world was sliding back towards rigid spheres of influence.
“This kind of bullying and flagrant violation of international norms is totally unacceptable,” he said.
Earlier, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has also condemned Washington’s actions, saying they undermine international law and the UN Charter.
“It violates the territorial integrity of Venezuela and the principles that should govern respect for sovereign states,” Lamola said ahead of a Security Council meeting on Monday.
He added that the country hoped for “progressive decisions” and “robust engagements” on the matter.
Politics
