Multiple nations, organizations condemn U.S. military actions against Venezuela

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Multiple nations, organizations condemn U.S. military actions against Venezuela

2026-01-10 22:29 Last Updated At：01-12 23:15

Several nations and international organizations have voiced strong condemnation against recent U.S. military actions targeting Venezuela, emphasizing the importance of international law and diplomatic solutions.

The United States launched military operations in Venezuela that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Jan 3. The Venezuelan government said the strikes hit civilian and military sites in at least four states, including Caracas, Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. The U.S. attack has left 100 dead, Venezuela's interior ministry said Wednesday.

"The international law, the rules, the rules and regulations of the international system should be really respected. We at the African Union disapprove completely the kidnapping of a sitting president. We issued and released a communique, asking the global powers, influential countries to respect the rule of law, to respect the international law, and also to respect the immunity of sitting presidents everywhere," said African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.

According to Russian media reports, Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, after meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil on Friday, noted that the U.S. actions have resulted in the deaths of approximately one hundred Venezuelan civilians and military personnel.

He stressed that these tragic consequences must be severely condemned and thoroughly investigated. The ambassador added that the United States' neo-colonial, command-and-control approach clearly does not contribute to the normalization of Venezuelan oil sales, and such actions violate international law.

South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola on Friday reiterated his country's commitment to a rules-based international order grounded in international law and multilateralism, with the United Nations (UN) at its center.

Delivering a keynote address on the 2026 Foreign Policy Outlook in Rustenburg, North West Province, Lamola said the doctrine of "might is right" must not be allowed to prevail, and that the rule of law remains fundamental to global stability, legitimacy, and governance.

He said that the unilateral military actions by the U.S. against Venezuela risk reducing the UN Charter to ashes. In the current situation, it is of unprecedented importance and urgency for countries to adhere to resolving disputes through dialogue, consultation, and diplomatic means.

China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth

China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.

The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.

Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.

Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.

The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.

Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.

"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.