OATUU condemns U.S. military action in Venezuela, demands release of President Maduro

The Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) has condemned what it describes as the “imperialist aggression” of the United States against Venezuela, calling for the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Célia Flores.

In a statement issued January 4, 2026, by the Secretariat of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity, the continental trade union body described the reported military action and capture of the Venezuelan leader as a grave violation of national sovereignty, international law, and the Charter of the United Nations.

According to OATUU, the incident represents a direct assault on the democratic will of the Venezuelan people and poses a broader threat to global democracy.

“OATUU denounces the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro, the legitimate representative of the Venezuelan people, an act that forms part of a strategy of domination and destabilization,” the statement said.

The organisation argued that targeting the leader of a sovereign state amounts to silencing the voice of millions of citizens and undermining the fundamental principle of self-determination.

OATUU further linked the alleged aggression to Venezuela’s vast natural resources, accusing the United States of pursuing control over the country’s oil, gas, and strategic minerals at the expense of workers and the wider population.

“This aggression is driven by the desire to plunder Venezuela’s immense resources, thereby depriving the Venezuelan people and workers of their economic sovereignty and their right to freely dispose of their wealth,” the organisation stated.

Expressing solidarity with Venezuelan workers and citizens, OATUU called on trade unions, social movements, and progressive forces across Africa and the world to mobilise against what it termed modern-day colonialism.

Among its key demands, the organisation called for the immediate release of President Maduro and his wife, an end to U.S. interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs, and strict respect for international law and the right of peoples to self-determination.

“The attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty is an attack on the freedom of peoples everywhere,” the statement concluded, reaffirming OATUU’s commitment to global struggles for dignity, justice, and peace.