JOHANNESBURG, — Members of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and several trade unions marched to the United States consulate in Sandton on Saturday, submitting a memorandum condemning what they described as a U.S. military “invasion” of Venezuela and calling for the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
Addressing demonstrators after the march, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) General Secretary Irvin Jim said the protest was “lawful and very peaceful” and framed the memorandum as a formal denunciation of U.S. actions in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Union leaders cast the issue as a broader challenge to the international order, urging respect for sovereignty and international law while linking the dispute to Venezuela’s oil resources. “We are saying that the international rule of law, the human rights must be respected,” said Mike Shingange, First Deputy of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), adding that the protest aimed to signal solidarity with Venezuelans “up until they are liberated.”
The African National Congress (ANC), which governs South Africa, has also publicly condemned U.S. actions related to Venezuela and demanded Maduro’s release. ANC First Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane told demonstrators that the march represented “international solidarity” and opposition to “imperialist aggression,” while criticizing what she called a unilateral approach to undermining state sovereignty.
Saturday’s demonstration follows earlier protests outside the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria this month, where demonstrators carried signs such as “Hands Off Venezuela” and “Free President Maduro Now.” In that Pretoria protest, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Pretoria’s position was grounded in international law and the UN Charter, describing Washington’s actions as undermining Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and calling for the release of Maduro and Flores.
The Venezuela protests are unfolding against a backdrop of strained U.S.–South Africa relations since President Donald Trump returned to office. Washington has clashed with Pretoria on multiple fronts, including Trump’s repeated—and widely discredited—claims that South Africa’s government enables a “white genocide,” and a separate dispute around U.S. participation in G20 proceedings hosted in Johannesburg.
Organisers said they intend to continue mobilising and pressing diplomatic channels, while urging international actors to support what they describe as a rules-based approach that prioritises sovereignty, civilian protection and negotiated outcomes.
