MANILA — Akbayan Party condemned what it described as a unilateral military attack by the United States under President Donald Trump against Venezuela, including the reported removal of the country’s top leader, calling the move a grave violation of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty.

In a statement, Akbayan said the alleged action amounted to a “direct assault” on the Venezuelan people’s right to self-determination and a clear breach of the United Nations Charter.

The party further criticized Trump’s reported declaration that the US would “run” Venezuela and take control of its oil reserves, saying such statements point to a full-scale invasion and the plunder of a sovereign nation’s resources.

Akbayan rejected claims that the military action was carried out in self-defense or to promote democracy in Venezuela, arguing that the move would only worsen regional instability and undermine international norms.

“Rather than advancing democracy, this attack deepens instability and emboldens powerful states to bypass multilateral institutions and invade weaker nations at will,” the group said, warning of a “new world order” where disputes are settled through force instead of international law.

While acknowledging long-standing allegations of corruption, authoritarianism, economic hardship, and human rights abuses under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Akbayan stressed that any political change in Venezuela should be decided by its people alone.

“The future of Venezuela is not for the United States or any external power to dictate,” the group said, adding that genuine democracy cannot be imposed through military intervention.

Akbayan said it stands in solidarity with the Venezuelan people in their struggle for justice, human rights, sovereignty, and democracy, and called on the Trump administration to abandon plans to govern Venezuela, halt all hostile actions, and withdraw US military forces from the country and the region.

The group also urged American citizens, particularly workers, to oppose the military action, noting that Trump had previously pledged to end wars.

“Democracy cannot be imposed by force; it must be built by the people themselves,” Akbayan said.