According to IRAF News Agency, Abdol Salam Za’eef, the Taliban’s former ambassador to Pakistan, said; the abduction of Nicolás Maduro and his wife constitute “a threat to all countries.” Writing on X, Za’eef said; the United States’ objective was to gain access to Venezuela’s natural resources and wealth, accusing Washington of having “abducted” Maduro in order to seize the country’s assets.
Za’eef, who spent three years in detention at Guantanamo Bay, described the U.S. action as “ugly and colonial,” warning that the continuation of such policies could eventually evolve into a global threat.
‘If You Are Not a Lion, the Jackals Will Devour You’
At the same time, the head of the office of the Taliban’s deputy for economic affairs warned of growing lawlessness in the international system. Abdollah A’zam wrote on X that; “today’s world has turned into a “jungle,” where law, humanity, and borders have been reduced to hollow slogans”.
Without directly naming the United States, he described recent developments in Venezuela as “a fresh example” of instability and disorder in international relations, stressing: “If you are not a lion, the jackals will devour you.”
Continuing the reactions, Ahmad Khan Da’ee, a journalist close to the Taliban, wrote on his Telegram channel: “This is what a U.S. approved government looks like.” He claimed that whenever the United States forcibly installs an individual at the head of a government, that government is portrayed as “inclusive, democratic, and ideal.”
Referring to the role of Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, Da’ee alleged that; Washington would exploit the situation to plunder Venezuela’s oil, gold, and other material and symbolic assets. He also described military attacks on sovereign states and the violation of international laws and principles as “standard practice for the United States.”
In a separate reaction, the Telegram channel “Neo-Taliban Governance”, considered close to the Taliban, cited the Pashtunawali code, describing the abduction of political leaders by “foreigners” as contrary to traditional Pashtun principles.
The channel said that, under Pashtunawali norms, Pashtuns do not hand over even their fiercest enemies or criminals to outsiders, viewing the act of granting refuge as a moral and cultural obligation. It cited figures such as Osama bin Laden and Marcus Luttrell as examples of this approach, stressing that “foreign hands must be kept away from the fate of nations.”
These reactions come as Maduro’s abduction, reportedly carried out on the direct order of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has triggered widespread regional and international reactions, once again placing the role of foreign powers in the internal affairs of sovereign states at the center of debate.
