‘DONALD Trump is a creature of the US. NUMSA calls upon its brothers, sisters and comrades in the United States to deal with Donald Trump before he makes the whole world unsafe for humanity.’
A statement issued by the The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa on Sunday declares: ‘NUMSA unreservedly condemns the Trump administration’s undemocratic, dictatorial, and unilateral attack on the Democratic Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and the criminal capture and arrest of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
‘This singular act is a violation of international law and the illegal invasion of Venezuela is aimed at strangling and killing the Bolivarian revolution.’
The South Africa metalworkers union has labelled Trump a ‘Savage Imperialist’ and condemned his kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as ‘Colonialism in Action’.
The union described Donald Trump as ‘a savage, a ruthless bully and a champion of colonialism and imperialism,’ accusing him of being ‘a purveyor of the most backward racism, a pathetic patriarch, and an unapologetic misogynist.
‘Together with his partner in genocide, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, these warmongers’ hands drip with the blood of innocents.
‘They are racist white supremacists of the twenty-first century.
‘They represent the powerhouses of a hopeless, dying system of imperialism with absolutely no humanity, only undiluted cruelty and violent greed.’
NUMSA noted that there were US airstrikes on Venezuelan military sites in Caracas, La Guaira, Miranda State, and Aragua, causing explosions, blackouts, and chaos that left families in fear for their lives.
Elements of Venezuela’s opposition, including María Corina Machado, expressed support for Trump’s aggression against their own country, endorsing the illegal seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers and the threat of military blockades.
As ordinary Venezuelans grapple with the immediate fallout – from power outages straining hospitals to street fighting in the capital – NUMSA said its call for global progressive forces to condemn the assault resonates with those who remember South Africa’s own struggles against external domination.
‘In a world where resource-rich nations often face such pressures, this event reminds South Africans of the importance of solidarity, especially as rising oil prices from the crisis could hit our economy hard with higher fuel costs for families already stretched thin.’
NUMSA’s demands include calling on Americans to ‘deal with Donald Trump’ and urging the international bloc BRICS to confront the aggression, warning that ‘unchecked imperialism could make the world unsafe for humanity.’
BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation of major emerging economies, consisting to date of: Brazil, China, India, Russia, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
As 2026 unfolds, this crisis tests global alliances and the resolve of nations to stand against what NUMSA calls a hopeless, dying system of imperialism with absolutely no humanity, only undiluted cruelty and violent greed.
NUMSA’s statement not only condemns the US actions but also draws parallels to other global conflicts, calling for an end to wars in Ukraine, Palestine, Yemen, Asia, the Congo, and Sudan.
As diplomatic responses pour in from around the world, the union’s voice adds to the chorus demanding respect for international law and sovereignty.
The crisis erupted in the pre-dawn hours of January 3rd, 2026, with residents in Caracas reporting at least seven powerful explosions that shook buildings and caused widespread blackouts.
Low-flying aircraft were heard overhead, adding to the panic as people rushed to check on loved ones.
Smoke rose from key military sites like Fort Tiuna, a major base in the capital, and La Carlota airport, suggesting the strikes were precise and aimed at weakening President Maduro’s defences.
Similar blasts were reported in nearby states like Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, spreading fear beyond the capital.
Witnesses described scenes of confusion, with sirens blaring and emergency services struggling to respond amid power outages.
While no immediate civilian deaths were confirmed, the attacks disrupted daily life, leaving hospitals on generators and homes in darkness.
For families already facing economic shortages, this added a layer of terror, with many fearing more strikes could follow.
This hybrid operation – airstrikes with possible ground elements – avoided a full invasion but risked escalation.
NUMSA said it sees the same logic in conflicts like Israel’s actions in Palestine, where they accuse Trump and Netanyahu of seeking to dominate and extract resources through violence.
NUMSA expressed profound concern over elements of Venezuela’s opposition, including María Corina Machado, who supported Trump’s aggression.
The union called it capture, plain and simple, accusing sections of the opposition of becoming instruments of United States imperialism.
‘History teaches us that those who invite foreign powers to intervene against their own people become tools of neo-colonial subjugation,’ the union warned.
They called upon all genuine patriots in Venezuela to reject this treasonous alignment.
‘The sovereignty of Venezuela belongs to the Venezuelan people, not to Washington, and not to those who would sell their nation’s independence for imperial favour.’
This critique highlights NUMSA’s view that internal divisions are being exploited by external forces, a pattern seen in other Global South nations.
NUMSA outlined clear demands in their statement.
‘First, Trump must be stopped in his tracks. To this end, we call upon all Americans of goodwill and the American working class to sort out Donald Trump.
‘Trump is a product of American capitalism and imperialism. Americans are best placed to deal with this evil before it consumes the whole world in untold violence and human suffering.
‘Second, BRICS must convene on an urgent basis and take decisive action to confront Trump’s aggression through all available means, including diplomatic, economic, and political means, and this must also include the legitimate defence of Venezuela’s sovereignty against the illegal blockade.
‘Third, all progressive countries must do what it takes to end the wars devastating our world including:
‘The NATO war against Russia which is presented as the Russia-Ukraine war;
‘Israel’s genocide against Palestine;
‘The war in Yemen;
‘The wars in Asia;
‘The war in the Congo;
‘And the war in Sudan.
‘NUMSA wants the world to know that we reject with the contempt it deserves, this opportunistic imperialist attack.
‘Trump has no mandate from the people of the United States or Venezuela to wage this aggression.
‘Trump’s imperialist aggression must be stopped by all people of the world, including progressive forces within the United States itself.
‘There is only one force in the world today which can deal with all the “Trumps” of this world in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the US itself – the world working class, organised behind a revolutionary programme to uproot and destroy the soil in which the Trumps of this world are born and grown, which is capitalism and imperialism.
‘The world is today faced with the stark choice: capitalist barbarism or socialism!
‘Workers of the world, unite! We have nothing to lose but our chains!
‘Hands off Venezuela!’
