Venezuela’s Embassy in Tehran Compares Maduro to Mandela
WANA (Jan 06) – The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Tehran posted images of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro alongside Nelson Mandela, stating that the United States “thought they were dealing with a Noriega, but fate gave them a Mandela.”
In its message, the Caracas embassy wrote: “They thought they were facing a Manuel Noriega, but fate brought them a Mandela.” The statement emphasized that the U.S. still does not understand Chavista Venezuela and the steadfast will of its people.
Manuel Noriega, the former Panamanian military leader, was overthrown in December 1989 after widespread unrest in Panama. Then-U.S. President George H.W. Bush ordered a military invasion, claiming Noriega’s regime threatened the lives and property of U.S. citizens.
Noriega surrendered in January 1990, was taken to Miami for trial, and later convicted of money laundering, drug trafficking, and ties to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The embassy’s post underscores Venezuela’s narrative of resilience and draws a symbolic parallel between Maduro’s leadership and Mandela’s legacy of resistance, contrasting it with Noriega’s downfall at the hands of the United States.
On January 3, 2026, while attacking Venezuela, U.S. special forces conducted a raid in Caracas, capturing Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were flown to the United States, where Maduro is currently held in a New York prison facing charges of “narco-terrorism” and money laundering.
While Washington frames the capture as a legal arrest, Venezuela’s allies have formally denounced the operation as a kidnapping and a direct assault on national sovereignty.
UN Security Council Condemns U.S. Aggression Against Venezuela
At an emergency meeting of the Security Council, most members and participants declared the U.S. action to be in violation of international law.
Iran, Russia, and China also condemned the terrorist act by the U.S. against Venezuela and demanded the immediate release of the country’s legitimate president.
Venezuela’s Embassy in Tehran Compares Maduro to Mandela. Social media/ WANA News Agency
