Overview
- ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula labeled the U.S. an imperialist aggressor, demanded Nicolás Maduro’s immediate release, and said the operation violates the UN Charter.
- Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in Manhattan federal court and pleaded not guilty to narco‑terrorism, drugs, and weapons charges.
- The Democratic Alliance accused the ANC of diplomatic hypocrisy, contrasting its stance on Venezuela with its positions on Russia and Ukraine.
- Freedom Front Plus welcomed the U.S. action, called Maduro’s government illegitimate, and argued the ANC does not speak for all South Africans on foreign policy.
- President Donald Trump said the U.S. would temporarily run Venezuela and get the oil flowing, intensifying criticism of American motives.