NASUWT joins the TUC, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and ITUC-Americas in expressing our ‘absolute and unequivocal rejection’ of the US military attack in Venezuela and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

This is a clear breach of international law, the UN Charter and Venezuela’s sovereignty.

The oil, gold, minerals and other natural resources of Venezuela belong to the people of Venezuela and we condemn any attempt to control Venezuela’s natural and strategic resources. 

Subsequent threatening statements made by the US administration against Colombia, Cuba and Mexico and their implied designs on Greenland pose a threat to national and democratic rights and further undermine peace and stability in the region.

NASUWT firmly believes that the future of any country, including Venezuela, ought to be determined by its people, through peaceful, democratic processes, free from external interference.

We echo the governments of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Spain and Uruguay in stating that the aggression marks an ‘extremely dangerous precedent’ and that dialogue is the solution.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the UK has a duty to protect international law. We call on the UK Government to immediately condemn this blatant violation of international law and to make clear that the UN charter applies to all member states consistently.  

NASUWT remains committed to defending workers’ rights and to the principles of peace, democracy and self-determination globally.

We stand in solidarity with our trade union brothers and sisters in the region in their struggle for peace and social justice.