Nigerian human rights activist Agena A. Robert has sharply criticised the United States over its ongoing actions against Venezuela, describing Washington’s posture as imperialistic, hypocritical, and a threat to global sovereignty.

In a statement titled “The Hypocrisy of Empire: Why the U.S. Assault on Venezuela Is a Threat to Us All”, Robert accused the U.S. of masking economic and geopolitical ambitions behind claims of promoting democracy. He argued that the repeated branding of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a “dictator” is a convenient pretext to control the country’s vast natural resources.

Robert went further to draw parallels with modern governance, stating:

“Every nation-state, by its very nature, operates through authoritarian structures; all leaders are dictators, some merely cloaked in electoral legitimacy. So why single out Venezuela alone? The U.S. President, Donald Trump, is a dictator. It takes a dictator to arrest the president of another sovereign nation on foreign soil, alongside his wife, and fly him to the United States using military force.”

He accused the U.S. of double standards, selectively criminalising enemies while tolerating drug cartels and shielding elites. Robert warned that this pattern reflects modern neocolonialism, particularly targeting the Global South.

Using Nigeria as an example, he highlighted what he called the “veils of exploitation” employed by foreign powers:

• The U.S. and Israel under the guise of “protecting Christians”
• China under the guise of “development partnerships”
• Russia under “security cooperation”
• Europe under “promoting democracy”

Robert concluded by urging countries in the Global South to resist foreign domination, declaring:

“‘If they can invade Venezuela, they can invade us.’ This is not about Maduro—it is about pillaging resources and erasing autonomy. We must stand with Venezuela, not out of partisanship, but to defend the right to self-determination. Solidarity is imperative. The Global South will not be puppets. Venezuela’s resistance echoes ours.”