LND Condemns Alleged Abduction of Venezuelan President, Warns of Threat to Global Peace

By Muhammad Sani Muazu

The League of Northern Democrats (LND) has condemned what it described as the alleged abduction of the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, by agents of the United States, warning that the development poses a grave threat to international peace and stability.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ladan Salihu, the group expressed deep concern over reports that a covert commando operation was carried out in Caracas, resulting in the forcible transfer of President Maduro and his wife to the United States to face domestic criminal charges.

LND described the alleged action as a serious breach of international law and a dangerous assault on the foundations of the post-1945 international order, including the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The group noted that such an act violates the sovereignty of states, the principle of non-intervention, and the personal inviolability of sitting heads of state.

The organisation recalled that countries of the Global South and members of the Non-Aligned Movement emerged from historic struggles against imperial domination, external interference, and coercive regime-change operations. According to LND, the abduction of a serving president of a sovereign nation outside any multilateral legal framework represents a return to “gunboat diplomacy,” which has been widely rejected by nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

LND further warned that the incident comes shortly after what it described as an unlawful military operation allegedly carried out by the United States against Nigeria under the pretext of protecting Nigerian Christians. The group cautioned that the normalization of extraterritorial attacks, unilateral enforcement actions, and military incursions by powerful states against weaker nations constitutes a direct threat to world peace and undermines diplomatic engagement.

The statement stressed that no state, regardless of its power, is above international law, adding that political disagreements or allegations of wrongdoing cannot justify the attack or kidnapping of foreign leaders. It maintained that international disputes must be resolved through dialogue, multilateral institutions, and lawful judicial mechanisms rather than covert or overt military operations.

LND called on the United Nations Security Council to urgently place the matter on its agenda and demand full clarification, accountability, and strict adherence to the UN Charter. It also urged the United Nations to formally condemn the alleged act and reaffirm the principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, and equality of states, particularly in defense of nations of the Global South.

The group further appealed to the African Union (AU) to adopt a principled position condemning what it described as a violation of international law and to resist the re-emergence of imperial practices in global affairs.

In addition, LND called on the Federal Government of Nigeria, describing the country as Africa’s most populous nation and a historic voice within the Non-Aligned Movement, to publicly condemn the alleged action and work diplomatically within the United Nations and the African Union to defend international legality and global stability.

The organisation reiterated its commitment to a rules-based international order, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and collective security among nations, warning that silence or acquiescence in the face of such allegations could embolden further violations and accelerate the erosion of international norms built over decades.