IPC slams govt's solidarity stance on Venezuela crisis
Namibia condemns Maduro's capture
Namibia reaffirmed its steadfast friendship,
solidarity and cooperation with Venezuela.
Elizabeth Kheibes
WINDHOEK The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has sharply criticised the ministry of international relations and trade’s response to the United States’ military action in Venezuela, accusing the government of offering uncritical ‘solidarity’ with President Nicolás Maduro while failing to demonstrate clear political leadership on a matter of grave international consequence.
In a statement issued on Sunday, IPC shadow minister of international relations and trade Rodney Cloete said the opposition party was “troubled by the ministry’s decision to frame this matter purely through the lens of ‘solidarity’ with the Maduro government, invoking Namibia’s anti-colonial history”.
The criticism follows a media release by the ministry confirming that the US captured Maduro and his wife on 3 January 2026, an act Namibia described as “a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and international law”.
The ministry said Namibia “reaffirms its steadfast friendship, solidarity, and cooperation with Venezuela, based on a shared history of anti-colonial struggle for self-determination and independence”. While the IPC rejected the US military operation, it warned that Namibia’s official response risked conflating the defence of international law with endorsement of an authoritarian government.
“Let us be clear: Nicolás Maduro is not a liberation hero,” Cloete said. “He is a leader credibly accused by UN investigators of crimes against humanity, whose disputed 2024 election was rejected by much of the international community, including the African Union’s own election observation standards.”
However, IPC said unilateral military action to remove a head of state, “regardless of who that leader is, or what crimes they may be accused of”, undermines the principles of sovereignty and the prohibition on the use of force enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Such actions, it said, set “a dangerous precedent” that should particularly concern smaller states like Namibia.
However, the party argued that opposing unlawful intervention does not require defending what it described as tyranny. “We reject the notion that defending sovereignty requires defending tyranny,” Cloete said. “One can oppose unlawful intervention while also acknowledging that Maduro’s government lacks democratic legitimacy.”
He further questioned the credibility and authority of the ministry’s statement, noting that it was circulated via the ministry’s official social media platforms but carried no personal signature from the minister, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi. “In matters of such gravity... one expects the minister to personally endorse and own the position,” Cloete said.
“The absence of a signature raises legitimate concerns about whether this reflects a fully considered Cabinet position or a hasty bureaucratic response.” The opposition also pointed to the absence of a public statement from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, calling her silence “conspicuous and concerning”.
“On an issue touching core principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, and Namibia’s standing in the Global South... we would expect leadership from the head of state,” the statement read, adding that the silence leaves uncertainty over “who truly speaks for our nation on the international stage”.
In its release, the ministry said Namibia supports the involvement of multilateral organisations, including the United Nations, and backs the convening of a UN Security Council session on the situation in Venezuela.
It also urged the international community to “prioritise dialogue and diplomacy to resolve differences among nations”.
WINDHOEK The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has sharply criticised the ministry of international relations and trade’s response to the United States’ military action in Venezuela, accusing the government of offering uncritical ‘solidarity’ with President Nicolás Maduro while failing to demonstrate clear political leadership on a matter of grave international consequence.
In a statement issued on Sunday, IPC shadow minister of international relations and trade Rodney Cloete said the opposition party was “troubled by the ministry’s decision to frame this matter purely through the lens of ‘solidarity’ with the Maduro government, invoking Namibia’s anti-colonial history”.
The criticism follows a media release by the ministry confirming that the US captured Maduro and his wife on 3 January 2026, an act Namibia described as “a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and international law”.
The ministry said Namibia “reaffirms its steadfast friendship, solidarity, and cooperation with Venezuela, based on a shared history of anti-colonial struggle for self-determination and independence”. While the IPC rejected the US military operation, it warned that Namibia’s official response risked conflating the defence of international law with endorsement of an authoritarian government.
“Let us be clear: Nicolás Maduro is not a liberation hero,” Cloete said. “He is a leader credibly accused by UN investigators of crimes against humanity, whose disputed 2024 election was rejected by much of the international community, including the African Union’s own election observation standards.”
However, IPC said unilateral military action to remove a head of state, “regardless of who that leader is, or what crimes they may be accused of”, undermines the principles of sovereignty and the prohibition on the use of force enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Such actions, it said, set “a dangerous precedent” that should particularly concern smaller states like Namibia.
However, the party argued that opposing unlawful intervention does not require defending what it described as tyranny. “We reject the notion that defending sovereignty requires defending tyranny,” Cloete said. “One can oppose unlawful intervention while also acknowledging that Maduro’s government lacks democratic legitimacy.”
He further questioned the credibility and authority of the ministry’s statement, noting that it was circulated via the ministry’s official social media platforms but carried no personal signature from the minister, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi. “In matters of such gravity... one expects the minister to personally endorse and own the position,” Cloete said.
“The absence of a signature raises legitimate concerns about whether this reflects a fully considered Cabinet position or a hasty bureaucratic response.” The opposition also pointed to the absence of a public statement from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, calling her silence “conspicuous and concerning”.
“On an issue touching core principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, and Namibia’s standing in the Global South... we would expect leadership from the head of state,” the statement read, adding that the silence leaves uncertainty over “who truly speaks for our nation on the international stage”.
In its release, the ministry said Namibia supports the involvement of multilateral organisations, including the United Nations, and backs the convening of a UN Security Council session on the situation in Venezuela.
It also urged the international community to “prioritise dialogue and diplomacy to resolve differences among nations”.
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