Members of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives on Sunday denounced the United States military’s operation in Venezuela and the “abduction” of President Nicolás Maduro, branding it a grave violation of international law and Caracas’ sovereignty.
“The kidnapping of President Maduro is nothing short of state-sponsored terrorism. This is not just an attack on Venezuela- it is an attack on the very foundations of international law,” the bloc said.
They warned that the removal of a democratically elected leader sets a dangerous precedent.
“The kidnapping of a democratically elected head of state sets a catastrophic precedent that threatens every nation asserting independence from US hegemony. The bombing of civilian and military installations in Caracas and other Venezuelan states constitutes a flagrant violation of the UN Charter,” the statement added.
The lawmakers argued the US action exposes its true foreign policy motives.
“Ang ginawa ng US government kay President Maduro ay isang klaro at hayagang mensahe sa buong mundo: Sumunod kayo o kayo ay matutulad kay Maduro at Venezuela. This is gangsterism expressed as foreign policy,” they said.
The bloc urged the Philippine government to issue a strong condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s move.
“Or is Marcos Jr. going to cheer Trump’s action? Ang katahimikan ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas sa harap ng ganitong karahasan at paglabag sa international law ay katumbas ng pagsang-ayon,” they declared.
They also demanded the cancellation of Trump’s planned visit to the Philippines and renewed calls to abrogate the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and Visiting Forces Agreement with the US.
“Today it is Venezuela and President Maduro; tomorrow it could be any nation or leader that dares to chart an independent path. Kung hindi tayo tutol ngayon, tayo naman ang susunod,” the bloc warned.
Expressing solidarity, they concluded: “We stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan people in their just struggle to defend their sovereignty, their democratically elected president, and their right to determine their own future. Ang kanilang laban ay ating laban.”