Rise Mzansi leader likens US strike on Venezuela to Hitler’s 1930s aggression

Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has likened the United States’ bombing of Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife to Adolf Hitler’s actions in Europe in the 1930s, condemning what he described as a flagrant breach of international law.

Zibi criticised US President Donald Trump’s military campaign, arguing that it amounted to unlawful regime change.

“International law prohibits a country from attacking another in order to cause regime change,” Zibi said. “Those of us who believe in democracy believe that a bad government must be replaced by a democratically elected one, not a coup, whether engineered locally or by foreigners.”

He warned that Washington would justify its actions by pointing to alleged repression and rigged elections under Maduro.

“That notwithstanding, this is about the principles of international law,” Zibi said. “There are a lot of things we don’t like about the governing systems of other countries. None of us have the right to go invade those countries, abduct their presidents out of the country and cause instability.”

Political analyst Prof Theo Neethling, head of the Department of Political Studies and Governance at the University of Free State, said the US intervention reflected a broader shift in Washington’s approach to global affairs under Trump.

“What can be stated with a reasonable degree of certainty, however, is that under the Trump administration, the United States pursued a foreign policy in which there was little emphasis on so-called soft power, particularly diplomacy,” Neethling said.

According to Neethling, this approach has been accompanied by a weakening of global institutions and growing instability.

“At the same time, there has been a noticeable move away from multilateralism in the international system, with institutions such as the United Nations appearing increasingly marginalised and weakened,” he said, adding that these trends were contributing to a more dangerous international environment.

He cautioned that continued military interventions by major powers could have far-reaching consequences.

“If military interventions and the disregard for international law, such as those witnessed in Venezuela and earlier in Ukraine are continued by major powers, they carry the risk of leading to international chaos and further destabilisation,” Neethling said.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) formally condemned the US military intervention, warning that it undermines Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Neethling said South Africa’s critical response to Trump’s action in Venezuela was unsurprising, given its foreign policy orientation. He noted, however, that Pretoria needed to tread carefully in managing relations with Washington.

“What is therefore required is a carefully calibrated foreign policy that navigates a delicate balance between South Africa’s ties with the Global South on the one hand, and its relationship with the United States as the world’s most powerful economic and military actor on the other.”

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