All 23 South Africans in Venezuela Safe After US Airstrikes and Capture of President Maduro — Dirco
The US have captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores with American President Donald Trump justifying the actions as necessary to combat “narco-terrorism.
Image: JUAN BARRETO / AFP
According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) all 23 South Africans in Venezuela were "safe" after the US launched a series of airstrikes on the South American nation on Saturday.
The attack followed many months of planning and resulted in the capture Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
Clayson Monyela, South Africa’s Head of Public Diplomacy, said the South African Embassy in Caracas remained in direct contact with South African nationals on the ground.
“The South African Embassy in Caracas (staff is safe) is in touch with all SA nationals in that country (mostly teachers) .... about 23. All accounted for and safe,” Monyela said.
He added that authorities would continue to closely track developments as a precaution.
“We’ll continue to monitor the situation which is currently reported as calm,” he said.
Pretoria has not announced any evacuation plans but has indicated that diplomatic and consular channels remain on alert should the security situation deteriorate.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) strongly condemned the US’ actions in Venezuela.
Dirco said Pretoria viewed the military strikes as a “manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations, which mandates that all Member States refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”
It also called on the United Nations Security Council to convene urgently to address the situation, emphasising that the UN Charter does not authorise external military intervention in matters that fall within the domestic jurisdiction of a sovereign nation.
DAILY NEWS