CAPE TOWN, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Several South African political, civil society and trade union organizations have condemned the United States' military action against Venezuela, denouncing it as a serious violation of international law.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the South African Communist Party (SACP) said it condemned "in the strongest terms possible" what it described as the U.S. administration's "criminal military invasion" of Venezuela. The party said the assault constituted a blatant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.
The SACP also expressed shock over the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, saying the act is "international piracy."
The United States launched a military strike on Venezuela on Saturday, during which Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of Venezuela.
In its statement, the SACP said the latest U.S. action was the culmination of a long series of threats and hostile rhetoric toward Venezuela. It added that the assault violated the UN Charter, endangered regional peace in Latin America and the Caribbean, and put millions of lives at risk.
The objective of the U.S. administration "is imperial regime change in order to seize the strategic resources of Venezuela, in particular its oil and minerals," it noted.
The SACP said it supports Venezuela's right to defend its people, territory and independence.
Meanwhile, the civil society coalition Africa4Palestine and the Anti-Fascist International South Africa Chapter condemned the U.S. bombing of Venezuela in a joint statement.
"This violent act of U.S. military aggression constitutes an unlawful assault on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and is a blatant breach of the UN Charter. It is, above all, an attack on the people of Venezuela," the statement said.
The two organizations said Venezuela was targeted for its oil reserves, and the military action aimed to replace Venezuela's elected government with a compliant regime serving U.S. corporate interests.
"As South Africans, we join the global call by peace-loving peoples: Hands off Venezuela! End U.S. bombing and aggression!" they said.
At the same time, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) issued a statement condemning the U.S. illegal military intervention in Venezuela.
"This is not diplomacy. This is not law enforcement. This is not 'democracy promotion,'" SAFTU said. "It is naked aggression, regime-change warfare, and the criminal logic of empire."
The SAFTU said the assault confirmed its long-held view that the U.S. administration's foreign policy represents oligarchic imperialism.
In a separate statement, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) called on progressive forces worldwide to condemn the U.S. assault.
"The United Nations must stand with Venezuela," the NUMSA said. ■
