Algeria’s silence on Venezuela reflects new pragmatic position
Algeria’s lack of an official statement on the abduction of Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro by the US regime has raised eyebrows, compared to demonstrations of support from Algerian parties, reports Le Matin d’Algerie on 17th January.
The leader of the Workers’ Party, Louisa Hanoune, publicly visited the Venezuelan embassy in Algiers, while the Algerian Party for Democracy and socialism released a statement denouncing the attack as an “imperialist aggression”. The government, on the other hand, has stayed silent on the issue, despite the apparent closeness of the two countries.
Less than a year ago, in July 2025, they had agreed to strengthen their economic ties during a visit of the Venezuelan Agriculture Minister to Algeria, with plans to collaborate on agricultural development.
Nicolas Maduro had himself visited the North African state in 2022 for an official 2-day trip, during which President Tebboune made a speech about the deep friendship between the countries, both aspiring to defend the “rights of people to freedom and development.” This statement acknowledged the shared values and political positioning of Algeria and Venezuela, who have both championed South-south alliances against Western imperialism. Maduro also made a quick stopover in 2024 when he was received at the airport by the Algerian Prime Minister Nadir Larbaoui.
Despite the collapse of the Maduro regime being another blow for Algerian diplomacy, following the UN vote on Western Sahara and the ongoing crisis with France, the government’s silence seems to indicate a shift towards a more pragmatic position, distancing itself from China and Russia who issued immediate condemnations.
Analysts have noted that Algeria might want to preserve its growing relationship with the United States, as well as keeping an eye on the oil market, which will likely be affected by an influx of Venezuelan reserves- the largest in the world. Algeria and Venezuela are both members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), enabling members to co-operate and set production limits. The fall of the Maduro regime will likely have a long term impact, as the US will seek to increase oil production under a new, US-friendly leadership.
Le Matin d’Algerie, El Moudjahid, al Jazeera, Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
