Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is the Minister of Foreign Affairs
The government of Ghana has expressed strong concern over what it describes as the unilateral and unauthorised invasion of Venezuela by the United States of America, and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
In a press release dated January 4, 2026, the government of Ghana said it was alarmed by reports that President Maduro and his wife were taken into custody in the early hours of Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Ghana has strongly condemned the unilateral use of force, stating that such actions violate the Charter of the United Nations, international law, and the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of states.
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According to the statement, Ghana is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela and warned that actions perceived as assaults on international law, attempts to occupy foreign territory, or exert external control over natural resources particularly oil, pose serious threats to international stability and the global order.
The statement further noted with ‘deep concern’ remarks attributed to US President Donald Trump, in which he reportedly said the United States would ‘run’ Venezuela ‘until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,’ and that major US oil companies would be invited to operate in the country.
Ghana described these statements as reminiscent of the colonial and imperialist era, warning that such declarations set a dangerous precedent for the international system and have no place in the post-Second World War global order.
“To allow this is to put the international community at great risk and undermine the sovereignty of every country,” the statement cautioned.
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The government of Ghana also reaffirmed its commitment to the principle of self-determination, stressing that only the people of Venezuela have the right to freely determine their political and democratic future.
Ghana called for the immediate de-escalation of tensions and demanded the release of President Maduro and his wife.
The statement reaffirmed Ghana’s long-standing principled position against invasion, occupation, colonialism, apartheid, disregard for sovereignty, and all forms of violations of international law.
In the early hours of January 3, 2026, US President Donald Trump announced that a large-scale military operation had resulted in the capture of President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Elite US forces reportedly extracted the couple from their bedroom in Caracas during a raid accompanied by strikes on military targets in the capital.
President Trump stated that Maduro is aboard the USS Iwo Jima and en route to New York, where he will face federal charges including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking conspiracy.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the indictments, promising the couple would “face the full wrath of American justice on American soil”.
President Trump further announced that the US would now “run” Venezuela to oversee a transition of power, a process for which he provided no timeline.
Read the full statement below:
Government of Ghana’s position on the US unilateral and unauthorised invasion of Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/MxLns5L3QR
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) January 4, 2026
MRA/AE
Meanwhile, watch President John Dramani Mahama’s 2026 full New Year Message below:
