By Victor Ahiuma-Young

African trade unions have expressed strong condemnation of the United States’ recent military actions in Venezuela, describing them as a blatant violation of the country’s sovereignty.

The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC-Africa,  has voiced full solidarity with the workers and people of Venezuela, aligning itself with a joint statement issued on  January 3, 2026 by the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC,  and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas, TUCA..

ITUC-Africa emphasized that the detention of Venezuela’s leader and his spouse through military force constitutes a serious breach of international law and an affront to the principles of sovereignty and self-determination. The organization warned that such foreign-engineered coups destabilize nations and risk wider conflicts that could affect global peace.

General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, Akhator Joel Odigie, said, “We strongly condemn the use of military force to detain the leader of a sovereign state together with his wife. This act is abhorrent and represents a serious violation of international law.

Workers and ordinary people always suffer the consequences of such aggression.

“History shows that unilateral military actions create instability. Actions driven by geopolitical and oil interests, rather than democracy or human rights, set dangerous precedents. Africa has experienced the consequences of external interference, and we call on the United Nations to address this aggression fully and without double standards.”