2026-01-04
Australia must uphold international law and oppose US attacks on Venezuela and the kidnapping of its President and his wife.
The US attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of its President and his wife is a gross breach of international law and continues the world on a dangerous path of lawless aggression.
Australia has a stake in an international order underpinned by international law, peace and non-aggression and this latest US attack is a fundamental breach of these principles.
Trump’s assault on Venezuela provides comfort to Vladimir Putin for his aggression in Ukraine, cover for a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan and sets an extremely dangerous precedent.
Greens Foreign Affairs spokesperson Senator David Shoebridge said:
“Lawlessness without consequences helps dictators, tyrants and aggressors. It places the world on a very dangerous footing."
“This US war is not about self-defence, like so many before it, this is a war about resources, oil and dominance.
“Donald Trump is taking dystopian steps to divide the world into zones where major powers dominate, where international law and decency take a back seat to power and greed. This can only happen when middle powers like Australia ignore, or worse support, the US when they flaunt international law.
“The people of Venezuela deserve the right to live in peace and elect their government, the actions of the US today will put these basic rights further out of reach. We have seen time and time again that the true victims of US regime change operations and wars are always civilians.
“Australia must urgently reassess its relationship with the US, which was previously sold on shared values of democracy and an international rules-based order. That relationship, if it ever truly existed, is now in tatters.
“This is a moment in time to start removing US troops and bases from Australia and to gain military and economic independence from the US, not to double down on AUKUS.
“This illegal and illegitimate attack on Venezuela demonstrates how dangerous it is to have a large US military presence in Australia with thousands of troops under the direct control of any foreign government, let alone Donald Trump.”