United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply alarmed by US military action in Venezuela that sets ‘a dangerous precedent’, his spokesperson said ahead of a Security Council meeting tomorrow.
Venezuela and Colombia, backed by Russia and China, have asked for the 15-member Security Council to meet, diplomats said, after the US attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving President Nicolas Maduro.
“These developments constitute a dangerous precedent,” Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
“The secretary-general continues to emphasise the importance of full respect – by all – of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
The UN Security Council has met twice – in October and December – over the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela. “The deadly and treacherous US military attack is being carried out against a country that is at peace,” Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada wrote to the Security Council yesterday, warning that it ‘has serious implications for regional and international peace and security’.
He said the US had violated the founding UN Charter, which states: “All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”
US President Donald Trump’s administration has for months targeted suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast and the Pacific coast of Latin America. The US ramped up its military presence in the region and announced a blockade of all vessels subject to US sanctions, last month intercepting two tankers loaded with Venezuelan crude.
In October, the US justified its action as consistent with Article 51 of the founding UN Charter, which requires the Security Council to be immediately informed of any action states take in self-defence against armed attack.
“This is not regime change this is justice,” US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz posted on X. “Maduro was an indicted, illegitimate dictator that led a declared narco-terrorism organisation responsible for killing American citizens.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was not sad that Maduro is no longer president of Venezuela following a US military raid, but he wanted this to lead to a more democratic government.
“The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime,” Starmer said in an official statement.
Earlier, Starmer said Britain, historically one of the United States’ closest allies, played no role in the military operation and that he wanted to speak with President Trump to better understand the situation.
Countries across the globe have expressed caution towards the escalating situation.
Iran condemned what it described as an American attack on Venezuela, after Caracas accused the United States of being behind explosions that rocked the capital.
The Iranian foreign ministry in a statement said it “strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.”
Germany’s foreign ministry said it was watching the situation in Venezuela with great concern and a crisis team was to meet later for further discussion.
Russia urged the US to release Maduro and his wife.
“In light of confirmed reports that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife are in the United States, we strongly urge the American leadership to reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of a sovereign country and his wife,” the foreign ministry said in the statement.
China said it firmly opposes US military strikes and the capture of Maduro, calling it a violation of international law.
“China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Spain called for de-escalation, moderation and respect for international law in Venezuela, the Spanish foreign ministry said in a statement.
It also offered itself as a negotiator to help find a peaceful solution.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia should help oversee the change in power.
“The transition to come must be peaceful, democratic, and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people. We hope that President Edmundo González Urrutia, elected in 2024, will be able to ensure this transition as quickly as possible,” wrote Macron on X.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot earlier said the US military operation which resulted in the capture of Maduro went against the principles of international law.
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