Ghana has strongly condemned the recent U.S. military action in Venezuela, describing it as an unlawful invasion and a threat to international peace, while calling for the immediate release of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
In a press release issued on January 4, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said the Government of Ghana was “alarmed at the unilateral and unauthorised invasion of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela by the United States of America and the subsequent abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife” in the early hours of January 3.
The ministry said Ghana “expresses strong reservations against unilateral use of force” and “strongly deplores such acts that violate the Charter of the United Nations and international law, as well as the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States.” It warned that military assaults on another country and attempts to exercise external control over strategic resources have “extremely adverse implications on international stability and the global order.”
Ghana also raised concerns over public remarks attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump, in which he reportedly said the United States would “run” Venezuela during a transition period and that major U.S. oil companies would be invited to operate there. According to the Foreign Ministry, such statements are “reminiscent of the colonial and imperialist era” and “set a dangerous precedent for the global order.”
“To allow this is to put the international community at great risk and undermine the sovereignty of every country,” the statement said. Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to self-determination, stressing that “only the Venezuelan people should freely determine their political and democratic future.”
The government called for “immediate de-escalation and the release of President Maduro and his wife,” while reiterating its long-held opposition to “invasion, occupation, colonialism, apartheid, disregard for sovereignty and all forms of violation of international law.”
The Foreign Ministry said Ghana would continue to defend these principles and urged the international community to uphold the rules-based global order.
