Hundreds of demonstrators marched to the United States consulate in Sandton, Johannesburg on Saturday 24th January to protest U.S. military and diplomatic actions in Venezuela and to demand the immediate release of former president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The peaceful demonstration was organised by labour unions and political groups expressing solidarity with Venezuela and opposition to foreign intervention.
The protest was led by members of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), along with other trade union activists, who said they were formally submitting a memorandum condemning what they described as an illegal U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. Speakers at the rally emphasised respect for international law, national sovereignty and human rights.
Union leaders and activists called on the United States to free Maduro and Flores, framing their detention as a violation of sovereign rights and a threat to global stability. Some speakers also linked the protest to broader concerns about imperialism and external interference in sovereign states.
The event also saw political backing from figures within South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), who lauded the solidarity shown by workers and emphasised South Africa’s historic commitment to anti-imperialism. There have been ongoing diplomatic strains between Pretoria and Washington, with South African officials previously criticising U.S. military actions in Venezuela and calling for United Nations engagement on the issue.
