The United Nations expressed strong concern on Tuesday over the recent US military operation in Venezuela, warning that it undermines a core principle of international law.
“States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights Office, during a press briefing in Geneva.
Her statement followed the forcible removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores by US commandos in the early hours of Saturday, accompanied by airstrikes over Caracas and a significant naval deployment.
Shamdasani rejected US claims that the intervention was justified by the Venezuelan government’s “longstanding and appalling human rights violations.” She emphasized that human rights accountability cannot be pursued through unilateral military action in violation of international law.
Highlighting a decade of reporting on Venezuela, the UN spokeswoman noted, “We have consistently documented the continued deterioration of the situation in Venezuela. We fear that the current instability and further militarization resulting from the US intervention will only exacerbate the crisis.”
The UN’s statement underscores growing international concern over the legality and potential humanitarian consequences of foreign military interventions in sovereign nations.
