A broad coalition of South African trade unions, political formations, civil society organisations, and solidarity movements on Thursday staged a protest outside the United States Embassy in Pretoria, condemning US interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states across the world.
The protest was organised in response to the United States’ military invasion of Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, who are currently being detained in the United States.
Speaking to journalists during the march, South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Solly Mapaila condemned the United States President Donald Trump for orchestrating “a new form of colonialism that is so unashamed”.
“We really appreciate the turnout for this picket, very correct to express our views as the people on the ground against American imperialism, a new form of colonialism that is so unashamed, so naked, open. Donald Trump has already declared that he needs up to 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela,” Mapaila said.
“He indicated from the beginning that this was about oil, all other things are trumped-up charges so that they can remove Maduro out of the way. We are saying to the people of Venezuela, we stand with you. To the people of the USA, we say, remove that moron from office who is really killing the world and destroying international law,” Mapaila told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika at the protest.
Mapaila said Trump had plunged the world into a period of lawlessness.
“These bullying tactics, these rogue state elements … what we now see is that the US has turned to state terrorism. Since the setup of the United Nations, it has attacked more than 70 countries. This is just unacceptable, particularly from a country that praises itself as the center of liberty,” he said.
A media advisory issued ahead of the protest said the demonstration was jointly convened by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) the South African Communist Party (SACP), the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA), Africa4Palestine, the South Africa Latin America Association (SALA), the Anti-Fascist International (South Africa Chapter), the South African Students Congress (Sasco) and other allied formations.
“This picket is not only about Venezuela. It is about defending international law, national sovereignty, and the right of peoples to determine their own future without bombs, sanctions, kidnappings, or foreign interference from the USA.
“We reject the USA’s ongoing policy of war, coercion, sanctions, and regime-change operations, particularly against poorer countries or those of the Global South,” the advisory said.
News
