Ghana condemns US ‘invasion’ of Venezuela and seizure of Maduro
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, 4 January 2026, the government said it was “alarmed” by reports that US forces entered Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday, 3 January.
Ghana has sharply criticised the United States over what it calls an “unilateral and unauthorised” military intervention in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, 4 January 2026, the government said it was “alarmed” by reports that US forces entered Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday, 3 January, and removed the Venezuelan leader from office.
Accra said it “strongly deplores” the use of force, describing the operation as a breach of the UN Charter and a violation of international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of states.
“The Government of the Republic of Ghana is alarmed at the unilateral and unauthorised invasion of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela by the United States of America,” the statement said.
Officials said Ghana is closely tracking events in Caracas, warning that attempts at foreign occupation and external control of natural resources, particularly oil, carry grave implications for global peace and the international rules-based order.
The Ministry singled out reported comments by US President Donald Trump, who is said to have suggested that Washington would “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” was in place and that major US oil firms would be invited to operate in the country.
Ghana said such remarks were “reminiscent of the colonial and imperialist era” and insisted they had “no place in the modern global order”.
Reaffirming its support for the right of peoples to determine their own political systems, the government stressed that only Venezuelans have the authority to decide their country’s future free from external coercion.
Accra called for an immediate easing of tensions and demanded the release of President Maduro and his wife.
“The Government of Ghana calls for immediate de-escalation and the release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife,” the statement added.
Ghana reiterated its long-standing opposition to invasion, occupation, colonialism, apartheid and all other violations of international law, saying it remained committed to defending sovereignty and international peace.
