BY Issah Olegor
The National Democratic Congress Government has issued a strongly worded diplomatic rebuke of United States President Donald Trump following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, describing the operation as an unlawful invasion that threatens the foundations of international order.
In a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 4, 2026, Ghana said it was “alarmed” by what it described as the unilateral and unauthorised military invasion of Venezuela by the United States and the subsequent abduction of President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the early hours of Saturday, January 3.
The statement places Ghana among a growing number of countries openly challenging Washington’s actions, which followed US military strikes on strategic targets in and around the capital, Caracas and the forced removal of Venezuela’s elected leader to the United States to face criminal charges
Ghana Invokes International law And Sovereignty
Accra’s response centres firmly on international law. The government said it “strongly deplores” the use of force outside the framework of multilateral authorisation, warning that such actions violate the United Nations Charter and undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of states.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ghana is monitoring developments in Venezuela “with great concern,” noting that military assaults, foreign occupation and external control of another country’s natural resources have far-reaching consequences for global peace and stability.
This position reflects the long-standing foreign policy tradition, rooted in its post-independence identity as a leading voice against imperialism, colonial domination and external interference in the affairs of sovereign nations.
Oil, power and echoes of empire
Particular concern was raised over President Trump’s public declarations that the United States would “run” Venezuela until a new political transition is secured and that major American oil companies would be invited to take control of the country’s energy sector.
Ghana said these statements evoked “the colonial and imperialist era” and warned that such ambitions have no place in the modern international system that emerged after the Second World War.
In the government’s view, allowing powerful states to remove governments and assume control over strategic resources sets a dangerous precedent that places all nations—large and small—at risk.
Self-Determination
Reaffirming its commitment to the principle of self-determination, Ghana stressed that Venezuela’s political future must be decided solely by the Venezuelan people, without coercion or external military pressure.
The statement calls for the immediate de-escalation of tensions and demands the release of President Maduro and his wife, insisting that disputes over leadership legitimacy, governance or elections must be resolved through lawful and democratic means.
Ghana further reiterated that it will continue to “maintain and defend its long-held principled position” against invasion, occupation, colonialism, apartheid and all forms of violations of international law.
A consistent foreign policy tradition
Ghana’s condemnation is consistent with its historical posture on global affairs, dating back to the era of Kwame Nkrumah, when the country positioned itself as a champion of anti-colonial struggles and non-alignment.
Over the decades, successive governments have upheld respect for sovereignty and multilateralism as core pillars of the diplomacy.
