From Palestine to Venezuela: Resist the Global Imperial Assault on Sovereignty, Justice and People’s Resources!
(Asian independent) 8th Jan, 2026: National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) unequivocally condemns the imperial aggression of the USA on the Venezuelan nation and its peoples. We stand in unflinching solidarity with the Venezuelan people in this dark hour and join progressive forces across the globe in calling for a decisive challenge to the diabolical ambitions of the Trump-led US Govt. We demand that kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores be immediately returned to their country. We emphasize that all decisions regarding the governance, resources, future of Venezuela must lie entirely with the people of that nation, and no other country or corporation can usurp this authority under international law. We also call for a stronger and united global movement to hold the US accountable under law, for its crimes against sovereign nations, its peoples and resources.
As the world witnessed, on the night of 2nd January, the United States stooped to a new low. It unilaterally attacked the sovereign people of Venezuela, killing 80 people and kidnapping the sitting President Nicolas Maduro with his wife, and sitting deputy in the National Assembly, Cilia Flores. Such bullying behaviour is not new for the United States, which has engaged in regime change in over 100 countries since World War 2. Most of these cases were sought to be justified as ‘actions against tyranny’ and ‘for ‘democracy and human rights’. In the case of Venezuela, there is no coherent justification provided and there is no pretense of ‘higher cause’. After the US forces kidnapped the Venezuelan President, in naked imperialist tenor, Donald Trump declared that the US would be running the country and US corporations would be taking over the oil sector of the South American country. Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil in the world – 17% of global reserves.
American violence on people who own oil is a story as old as the American empire. For centuries, Venezuela used to be a country run by elites favourable to the United States. The West celebrated “democratic stability” that ensured rule of a White and mestizo minority, to the exclusion of the vast majority of former slaves and indigenous people, the pardos. This centuries-old dominance of the majority ended in 1998 with the electoral victory of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s charismatic President who invested the state’s oil revenues into social welfare programmes. Chavismo, the movement named after the first pardos President, not only brought social justice but also reduced poverty drastically in the country. Anti-imperialism is a key tenet of Chavismo, which was inherited by his successor Maduro.
NAPM emphasizes that the US attacks on Venezuelan sovereignty and abduction of the sitting head of state are a brazen breach of international law, in particular the hugely significant Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. The current US government proudly exhibits its utter disregard for international law, unafraid to publicly affirm its role as a bully. Trump, Secretary of State Rubio and others have been threatening multiple countries with a military attack or invasion. These include Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark (Greenland) and Panama. The pronouncement makes it clear that the US actions are much more in line with their imperialist ambitions and political power, along with capture of the critical minerals, oil and other resources. The world can no longer ignore the threat of a broader US assault on countries in the Western hemisphere and elsewhere.
A Red Herring:
One of the pretexts used for the attack on Venezuelan sovereignty was that it was engaging in narco-terrorism against the USA and the other that they are getting their ‘stolen oil’ back. Both are unfounded claims with little to no credible evidence having been provided for the same. The available evidence and globally recognized literature on drug trade in the region shows that Venezuela does not feature in the prominent drug routes. The USA’s own Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2025 Threat Assessment also corroborates this. The Venezuelan oil and mineral reserves are theirs and it is for the people of the country to decide, one may critique petro-states, but US can’t claim the nationalization of the oil companies by Chavez as ‘theft’ and justify its illegal actions.
It must be understood that illegal drug trade is a real problem in its own right, which only worsens with such blatantly unlawful actions. Fighting transnational drug cartels requires co-operation among law abiding states. The capacity for that now stands completely eroded in the Americas. The US administration has shown that it is willing to compromise its citizens’ interests for the sake of its leader’s vanity and of course profits for its oil companies.
Tolerating a Bully:
The attack on Venezuelan sovereignty did not happen in a vacuum. Since September 2025, the US has unlawfully bombed 33 boats in the Caribbean, killing at least 115 people. The allegation made for these killings was that these boats were carrying illegal drugs to the USA. However, no evidence has been provided to sustain these allegations. The UN Human Rights chief, Volker Turk, questioned their legality and called on the US to stop these attacks on 31st October, 2025. These 115 deaths are cases of extra judicial killings by the current US Administration. Venezuela has also been a victim of targeted sanctions by the US and its allies since 2014, causing massive hardships to the people, and its national economy, over the years.
Despite protests by Latin American heads of states, the world tolerated US aggression. This emboldened the current US Administration further, as it made wild, racist accusations on people who did not agree with its whims. The submission of Western countries is on display even today as they shirk in their criticism of the USA, calling for ‘restraint’, as the bully blows international law to smithereens. It must be remembered that this is a country that, alongside Israel, has been responsible for the genocide in Palestine and has illegally bombed Iran not six months ago. The lesson here is clear. The world needs to come together and stand up to the bullying of the imperialist USA. Hold it accountable. End its impunity.
Indian Govt’ Feeble Response:
Even as other non-Western, especially BRICS countries, have strongly criticized the US action, Indian Govt has remained cautious and feeble in its response. Within India, beleaguered opposition parties have found enough resolve to condemn illegal US action. One wonders why the Modi government is so afraid of the Trump regime that it shies away from any criticism of its patently illegal actions, not only now but when the Indian citizens’ interests are harmed regularly and massive tariffs have been imposed.
India has a long history of solidarity with formerly colonized countries of the global south. We were leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement which brought together 120 countries (including Venezuela) with a focus on respect for sovereignty, non-aggression and peaceful conflict resolution in the face of global powers. India needs to urgently rediscover this legacy and stand by Venezuela as it is illegally attacked by the USA.
We urge all peace-loving Indians, people’s movements and progressive formations to extend their solidarity to the Venezuelan people facing unjust imperial aggression. It is the people of Venezuela alone who must determine their future, despite the several challenges they have endured in the last decade – including economic hardships, democratic decline, flailing Chavismo – in their quest for freedom and democracy. No other imperialist intervention can dictate their fate, and it must be their sovereign right alone.
We also urge political parties, including the ruling party to unequivocally condemn the illegal acts of aggression committed by the United States against the Venezuelan state and people. Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores must be immediately returned to their country and charges pressed against the incumbent in the USA for breaking both US Federal and International Law.
Solidarity among peoples of the global south is precisely what will be the undoing of those with imperialist ambitions. NAPM steadfastly stands in solidarity with the Venezuelan people in this dark hour of imperial aggression and calls for an end to the extractive and exploitative model of devastation led by the US across the global south.
Issued by: National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)
Contact for details: [email protected]
