Former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has sharply criticised recent United States actions against Venezuela, describing them as unlawful, reckless and dangerous to global peace, while also warning Nigeria to rethink its foreign policy posture amid renewed interest from major powers.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Akinyemi described the US action as a grave breach of international law, reminiscent of an era the world should have left behind, insisting it violated both the United Nations Charter and established norms of state sovereignty and sets a dangerous precedent that could embolden other world powers.
“This is nothing but piracy, brigandage, a violation of international law. A violation of the Charter of the United Nations. There is no justification for it at all.”
Akinyemi argued that regardless of the character of Venezuela’s former president, no country had the authority to unilaterally police the world or remove leaders it found undesirable. “The former president of Venezuela was not a good fellow. But then, there are so many heads of states who are not good fellows in the world.”
Nobody has given authorisation to the United States or anything to go in and be the president of the world in dealing with a person like that.
Nothing now prevents Putin from going after Zelensky in Ukraine, and nothing prevents China from going into Taiwan and taking it over. Absolutely nothing.”
He criticised President Donald Trump’s approach to power, accusing him of recklessness and an alarming disregard for international restraint. “No, I think Trump has done a very wrong thing. There are negative repercussions to the behaviour and the body language of Trump and his advisors. How can you stand there and say you are going to take over a country?”
Akinyemi said many Western leaders had failed to speak forcefully against the US action because of fear, dependency and geopolitical self-interest. “I do understand, however, why China and its western supporters will not be speaking with a tongue in their mouth. You don’t want to go after someone who is stronger than you, who is protecting you, and who has liberty. I understand why the Prime Minister of Britain, even presidents in several of the countries in Europe, have been speaking mutedly and condemning what the United States has done.”
Akinyemi said he was particularly offended by the public treatment of the detained Venezuelan leader. “I feel really offended at the pictures that have been taken of the man. You’ve arrested him. Do you have to show us pictures of him in handcuffs?”
He further criticised the United Nations, arguing that its structure had been deliberately designed to prevent accountability for superpowers. “The United Nations was countermined by a superpower. The underpinning of the United Nations was collaboration among the superpowers in order to stop non-superpowers from creating havoc in the rest of the world. Without the veto, the people who created the United Nations did not give power to the United Nations to countermine the superpower. That’s why the veto power was there.”
Turning to Nigeria’s foreign policy, Akinyemi urged caution over what he described as Israel’s sudden interest in Nigeria. “There are too many issues on which we disagree with Israel. The enemy of my enemy, my friend, it’s not going to work in this area.”
He called for urgent consultations among Nigeria’s foreign policy and strategic experts, saying the country must reassess how it responds to growing interest from global powers seeking influence in Africa. “The time has come for us to have a good rethink of how we should react to the United States and now to Israel who are showing interest in Nigeria because we have problems that they think they can help us to address,” Akinyemi said.
Akinyemi warned that Trump’s conduct on the global stage had dangerous implications, accusing him of dismantling institutional safeguards within the United States itself. He said Congress had failed in its constitutional role to restrain executive excesses. “This is the same US Congress that twice impeached this man but couldn’t convict him because of his hold over the Republican Party,” he said, So really, he is showing the weakness of the American Constitution.”
Drawing historical parallels, Akinyemi likened the current moment to the rise of authoritarian leaders in Europe in the 20th century. “Is this not the way Hitler took over Germany? Nobody believed that. And yet Hitler did,” he said, also referencing Benito Mussolini.
He warned that the world was dangerously close to a major global conflict, driven by unchecked power and weak international resistance. “I’m praying that this man is not going to lead us to a third world war.”
While acknowledging that China possessed the capability to challenge US dominance, Akinyemi said Beijing was unlikely to do so because it did not want to jeopardise its economic ascent. “Why not issue a statement? Where is our own statement?” he asked.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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