NUMSA Calls for a March to the US Consulate in Support of Venezuela

• The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) will march to the United States consulate during the week to protest against the actions of the Donald Trump administration in Venezuela
• US armed forces seized Venezuela's former president, Nicolas Maduro, and extradited him to the United States on charges of drug trafficking
• NUMSA general secretary Irvin Jim called on political parties, members of the public, and organisations to join NUMSA in marching against the United States

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international politics, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his 10 years of experience.

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG — The National Union of Metalworkers South Africa (NUMSA) has called on members of the public, political parties, and faith-based organisations to join it as it is set to march to the United States Consulate building in Sandton, Johannesburg, on 24 January 2026. NUMSA is marching in support of Venezuela.

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In a statement, NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim warned that what happened in Venezuela could happen in South Africa. Jim referred to the United States' armed forces, which seized Venezuela's former president, Nicolas Maduro, on 6 January 2026 under orders from President Donald Trump. He called on the working class to defend the sovereignty of all nations.

NUMSA to march to US consulate

Jim said that NUMSA will be delivering a memorandum of demands to the United States consulate to challenge Maduro's arrest. Jim added that NUMSA is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro has maintained his innocence. NUMSA also demanded the withdrawal of all U.S military forces from Venezuelan territory and an end to the blockade against Venezuelan oil.

NUMSA also called on the African Union to convene to determine how to respond to what Jim called the US's imperialist appetite to colonise other nations. Jim remarked that FIFA must cancel the upcoming World Cup in the United States as Trump imposed a visa ban on countries that qualified for the competition.

"NUMSA views this moment as the ultimate test of the credibility, international relevance and possible future, and viability of the United Nations and th UN Security Council. We demand that the UN must assert itself through its charter on the US or risk forever losing credibility as the world supreme arbiter of international conflicts and guarantor of international peace," he said.

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Irvin Jim sends a warning

Jim also said that a divided working class cannot resist and defeat US imperialist aggression. He slammed Trump's actions in Venezuela as fascist imperialist barbarism.

"NUMSA chooses to resist. We choose global and South African solidarity against Donald Trump and U.S imperialism," he said.

Venezuela's vice president sworn in as interim president

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Venezuela's deputy president, Delcy Rodriguez, was sworn in as the interim president. This was after Maduro was arrested.

Maduro appeared before the courts in the United States, where he was formally indicted. Her swearing-in coincided with the induction of 283 lawmakers who were elected in May 2025.

Source: Briefly News