Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
The Global Pan African Movement (GPAM) has issued a strong condemnation of the United States’ military raid in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on January 3, 2026. The organisation warns that the action sets a dangerous precedent for sovereignty and international law.
In a statement released by its Governing Council, GPAM described the operation as an “unprovoked and illegal attack” that threatens global order and violates the foundational principles of the United Nations.
“No country is safe as the US pursues its aggressive foreign policy under President Donald Trump to secure oil and other strategic minerals across the world,” the statement read.
GPAM called on Pan-Africanists across the continent and the diaspora to “stand firm and work in active solidarity with the people of Venezuela and the Bolivarian Revolution,” as well as with Caribbean nations opposed to what it termed “imperialist aggression.”
Mr Jimayi Muduvuri, founder of the Pan African Referral Hospital, echoed the sentiment, labelling the U.S. action as “retrogressive and flagrant disrespect of a nation’s sovereignty.”
“This is a dangerous precedent,” Muduvuri said. “We know what they are after – minerals in South America and also here in Africa. Soon they will be knocking on Africa to carry out the same tactics.”
International law experts have pointed to multiple violations arising from the operation. The abduction of a sitting head of state is seen as a breach of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
Furthermore, the unauthorised incursion by U.S. special forces into Caracas is viewed as a direct violation of Venezuelan sovereignty. Legal observers also contest the U.S. justification for the raid, arguing that President Maduro, as a sitting head of state, should be protected by diplomatic immunity—a protection reportedly bypassed by the U.S. government labelling him a “private citizen” leading a “narco-terrorist organisation.”
The incident has ignited widespread debate about the erosion of international norms, the principle of non-interference, and the rising geopolitical tensions over resource security. Pan-African voices have joined a growing chorus of international concern, framing the event not as an isolated intervention but as a signal of a broader strategy that could eventually target resource-rich nations in Africa.
