People attend a protest opposing U.S. actions in Venezuela in front of the U.S. consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan. 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Wei)
JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) — More than 100 demonstrators rallied outside the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg on Friday, denouncing U.S. unilateral military actions against Venezuela and voicing solidarity with the Latin American nation.
Protesters gathered along the street in front of the consulate, carrying banners that read “Hands Off Venezuela” and “Stop Imperialism,” chanting slogans against U.S. hegemony and aggression.
“Everybody here today is absolutely sick and tired of the bullying that’s taking place from the White House,” Johannesburg resident Stephen Faulkner told Xinhua at the rally.
He said opposition to U.S. actions in Venezuela was rooted in a long history, accusing Washington of interfering in sovereign countries for decades.
“U.S. imperialism has abducted, undermined and trespassed on sovereign countries for more than 50 years,” Faulkner said, citing the 1983 invasion of Grenada as one example.
Those grievances were reignited in the early hours of Jan. 3, when the United States carried out a military strike against Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, taking them to the United States.
Indignation filled the streets as protesters in red T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Hands off Venezuela.” Among them, Ben Kotze stood out in a black T-shirt, holding a caricature placard of U.S. President Donald Trump emblazoned with the words “End American Imperialism.”
Kotze had also taken part in a similar protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria on Jan. 8, where he delivered the same message of opposition to U.S. intervention. For him, the protest was not just a one-day gesture but part of a broader call to action.
For many participants, the issue is not perceived as a matter of far-off geopolitics, but as a stand for core principles.
If the United States tramples over Venezuela, then “none of us are safe,” Claire Ceruti, a local activist, told Xinhua.
Every mad move that the United States makes is dragging the world closer to a cliff, like a precipice, of a broader conflict than what is already happening in the world, she added.
Placards at the rally blended English and Spanish slogans, while some demonstrators sang liberation songs from South Africa’s anti-apartheid era to express solidarity. Passing motorists slowed in front of the consulate, honking in support.
Defying the summer heat, the crowd remained spirited and resolute, their chants echoing along the street in a clear call for an end to foreign interference and respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty. As the rally drew to a close, voices rose together in a familiar refrain: “The people united will never be defeated.” ■
A man holding a placard attend a protest opposing U.S. actions in Venezuela in front of the U.S. consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan. 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Wei)
South Africans rally in solidarity with Venezuela against U.S. aggression
