The South African government expressed its deep concern about the recent developments in Venezuela, after the United States of America announced the implementation of “a large-scale military strike against Venezuela and the arrest and expulsion of its president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife from the country.”
South Africa stressed that these measures represent a clear violation of the United Nations Charter, which stipulates that all member states must refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, and that the Charter does not allow external military interference in the affairs of sovereign states that fall within its jurisdiction.
South Africa stressed that history has repeatedly shown that military invasions against sovereign states usually lead to exacerbation of crises and increased instability, adding that the use of illegal unilateral force of this kind harms the stability of the international system and undermines the principle of equality between nations.
The South African government called on the United Nations Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, to meet urgently to discuss these developments and take the necessary measures to address them.
