Uganda’s President Museveni has been urged to use his position as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to rally international support for peace and restraint amid escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela over sanctions and military deployments in the Caribbean.

The call was made by John Ndabirano, who recently served as an international observer in Venezuela’s elections, during a press conference at the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela’s embassy in Kampala on Tuesday.

Ndabirano condemned what he described as “a looming act of military aggression” by the United States, warning that such actions threaten regional stability and violate international law.

“We strongly denounce the threat of military aggression by the United States, which has deployed warships and a nuclear submarine in Caribbean waters near the Venezuelan coast,” Ndabirano said.
He added: “This operation follows the same playbook of lies that preceded the wars in Iraq in 2003 and Libya in 2011.”
In recent weeks, Washington has increased military and political pressure on Venezuela, deploying at least eight warships, one submarine, and F-35 aircraft to Puerto Rico, bringing thousands of sailors and marines into the region.
The US government has said the operation targets boats allegedly involved in “narco-trafficking.”

The Trump administration also doubled its bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of narcotics trafficking and working with cartels to smuggle fentanyl-laced cocaine into the United States.

Venezuelan Ambassador to Uganda, Fatima Fernandez, dismissed Washington’s accusations, saying the sanctions imposed on her country were unilateral and illegal.

“Venezuela has not been sanctioned by the United Nations. What is being applied to Venezuela are measures by countries that believe they have the power to impose sanctions on others. That goes against the Charter of the United Nations, its principles, values, and objectives,” Fernandez said.

She revealed that more than 1,000 unilateral coercive measures have been imposed on Venezuela, affecting key sectors such as energy, health, and banking.

“These measures are not to protect human rights as claimed, because sanctions prevent us from buying medicines, food, and guaranteeing education to our people. The goal is regime change, to suffocate the economy and take control of Venezuela’s oil and natural resources,” she added.

There was no immediate response from either the Ugandan presidency or Washington to the appeals made in Kampala.

Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at 383.8 billion barrels, also ranks fourth globally in natural gas and second in gold. Fernandez said the country’s wealth has made it a target for economic and political pressure.

She added that state oil company PDVSA has lost nearly 87 percent of its production since 2015 due to sanctions, resulting in an estimated $230 billion in revenue losses.

'Dialogue over threats'

Ndabirano said Uganda’s current chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement gives it a moral responsibility to champion peace and oppose unilateral aggression.

“Our government should mobilize NAM member states, the African Union, and the East African Community to demand an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of warships from the Caribbean,” he said, adding: “Uganda should also defend the CELAC Peace Proclamation of 2014, which calls for Latin America and the Caribbean to remain a zone of peace.”

He urged African nations not to repeat the “complicit silence” that preceded the wars in Iraq and Libya, adding that “any aggression against a sovereign country is never justified.”

Amb Fernandez echoed this call, saying Venezuela remains open to diplomatic engagement.

“We are a peaceful country, but we will not give our country away without defending it. We prefer dialogue over threats, because threats destroy mutual respect. The most civilized way to resolve disputes is through talks, not warships,” she said.

She added that President Nicolás Maduro has continued to unite the people, military, and police “as one force defending sovereignty, security, and peace.”

The 81-year-old Ugandan leader is expected to address the NAM midterm review meeting in Kampala, where foreign ministers will adopt the Kampala Declaration under the theme “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence."