Former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji
Akinyemi, has strongly criticised the United States’ military operation in
Venezuela, accusing former US President Donald Trump of recklessly endangering
global peace.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels
Television’s Politics Today, Akinyemi described the US invasion as a
blatant violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and warned that Trump’s actions
could push the world closer to a third world war.
The respected diplomat accused Trump of hypocrisy,
recalling how he had earlier blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for
escalating tensions at the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“At his first meeting with the Ukrainian president,
Trump was shouting that Zelenskyy was playing with World War III,” Akinyemi
said. “But it is Trump himself who is now playing with World War III, and that
is deeply frightening.”
Akinyemi also used the opportunity to reflect on
Nigeria’s position in a rapidly destabilising global order, stressing the need
for the country to build a strong power base to protect its national interests.
“We in Nigeria are standing at the crossroads of
global instability,” he said. “Back in the 1970s, when I was Director-General
of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, I advocated that Nigeria
must develop its own power base. At the time, many dismissed those views.”
Trump had earlier announced the capture of Venezuelan
President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a special forces
operation at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas. He later shared images of Maduro
blindfolded and handcuffed aboard a US warship as confirmation of the arrest.
The development has sparked widespread international
condemnation, with global leaders questioning the legality of the US action.
Addressing an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, UN
Secretary-General António Guterres called for respect for national sovereignty,
political independence, and territorial integrity.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum declared that the
Americas “do not belong to anyone,” while Colombian President Gustavo Petro
issued a strongly worded statement, saying he was prepared to resist what he
described as US aggression.
Maduro, who came to power in 2013 after the death of
Hugo Chávez, has long been accused by the United States and the European Union
of election rigging, jailing political opponents, and presiding over widespread
corruption. His removal has brought an abrupt end to nearly 25 years of leftist
rule in Venezuela, leaving the country’s 30 million citizens facing an
uncertain future.
Despite his arrest, Maduro continues to enjoy support
among loyalists. Thousands of supporters rallied in Caracas over the weekend,
while lawmakers in the Venezuelan parliament chanted slogans in his defence.
In the meantime, interim President Delcy Rodríguez,
formerly Maduro’s vice president, has indicated a willingness to cooperate with
the United States, signalling a shift from her earlier defiant stance.
Trump has made it clear that US interests,
particularly access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, remain a priority. “We
need total access,” he said, referring to the country’s oil and natural
resources.
Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil
reserves, though years of sanctions and mismanagement have severely damaged its
production capacity. Following Trump’s comments, shares of major US oil
companies rose sharply on Wall Street.
While no US troops are currently confirmed to be on
Venezuelan soil, Washington maintains significant economic and military
pressure, including an oil blockade and a strong naval presence in the
Caribbean. Reports indicate casualties from the operation, including deaths
among Cuban nationals, while some US personnel were wounded.
Reactions to Maduro’s downfall remain sharply divided.
While protesters in New York condemned US intervention, some Venezuelans in the
diaspora described the event as long overdue.
“This is the best gift I’ve ever received,” said Angel
Montero, a Venezuelan immigrant in the United States. “I’m grateful to Donald
Trump.”
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