The Government of Ghana has strongly condemned what it described as the unilateral and unauthorized invasion of Venezuela by the United States, following the capture and transfer of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to US custody.
In a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 4, 2026, Ghana expressed alarm at the military operation and warned that the action poses serious risks to international law, global stability, and the post-war international order.
According to the statement, Ghana holds firm reservations against the unilateral use of force and strongly deplores actions that violate the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of states.
“The Ghanaian Government is keenly following the situation in Venezuela with great concern, and notes that such assaults on international law, attempts at the occupation of foreign territories and apparent external control of oil resources have extremely adverse implications on international stability and the global order.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana
The Foreign Affairs Ministry pointed to public remarks attributed to US President Donald Trump, in which he stated that the United States would effectively run Venezuela until what he described as a safe and judicious political transition could be arranged.
Ghana said these statements, alongside indications that large US oil companies would be invited to operate in Venezuela, evoke memories of colonial and imperial practices that the international community has long sought to consign to history.
The government stressed that such ambitions have no place in the modern international system and warned that tolerating them would undermine the sovereignty of all nations.
Commitment to the Principle of Self-Determination
Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to the principle of self-determination and insisted that only the Venezuelan people have the right to decide their political and democratic future freely. It called for the immediate de-escalation of tensions and the unconditional release of President Maduro and his wife.
Details surrounding the operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, have heightened international controversy. The United States military reportedly launched the operation in the early hours of January 3, 2026, deploying more than 150 aircraft to strike strategic targets across northern Venezuela.
These included military installations in Caracas, the La Carlota airport, and the port of La Guaira, with US officials saying the strikes were designed to neutralize threats to American personnel and interests.
During the same operation, elite US Army Delta Force units, supported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hostage Rescue Team, reportedly raided President Maduro’s compound in Caracas while he and his wife were asleep.
The couple were first transferred to the USS Iwo Jima before being flown to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York. They were later moved to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The Trump administration has framed the action as a law enforcement operation rather than an act of war, arguing that the president exercised inherent constitutional authority to enforce US domestic law.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores face federal charges in the Southern District of New York, including narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and firearms-related offenses.
International Response
However, international legal experts have questioned this justification. Analysts and organizations such as Chatham House have described the operation as a clear breach of the UN Charter and Venezuelan sovereignty, drawing comparisons to the 1989 US intervention in Panama that resulted in the capture of former leader Manuel Noriega.
Within Venezuela, the political situation remains volatile. The country’s Supreme Court has directed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the duties of acting president.
Rodríguez has denounced the US action as a kidnapping and has demanded the immediate release of Maduro. Meanwhile, opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for Edmundo González, whom she described as the winner of the 2024 election, to assume the presidency, further complicating the succession question.
Global reactions have been sharply divided. China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa have issued strong condemnations of the operation, warning that it undermines international law and sets a dangerous precedent. The United Nations Secretary General has also expressed concern over the violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and called for restraint.
In contrast, leaders in Argentina, Israel, and Ecuador have welcomed Maduro’s capture, while the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said he was relieved at Maduro’s removal but emphasized the need for a clear establishment of facts.
Against this backdrop, Ghana reiterated its long-standing principled opposition to invasion, occupation, colonialism, apartheid, and all forms of disregard for international law.
The government said it will continue to defend these principles in international forums and urged the global community to act decisively to preserve the integrity of the international system.
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