The United Nations has condemned the United States’ weekend military operation in Venezuela, saying the air strikes and arrest of President Nicolás Maduro breached core principles of international law.
Speaking in Geneva on Tuesday, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said international law clearly forbids states from using force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another country.
“That is exactly what we are witnessing,” she said, urging the global community to speak with one voice in rejecting actions that violate international law.
US forces, supported by warplanes, naval assets and air strikes, seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a pre-dawn operation on Saturday. Maduro appeared in a New York court on Monday, denying drug trafficking and other charges, and insisting he was kidnapped and remains Venezuela’s legitimate president.
Maduro has led Venezuela since 2013, succeeding Hugo Chávez. The US and European Union accuse him of rigging elections — including the 2024 vote — jailing opponents and presiding over widespread corruption.
While noting years of human rights deterioration in Venezuela, Shamdasani rejected Washington’s justification for the operation, saying accountability for abuses “cannot be achieved through unilateral military intervention.”
“Using human rights as a pretext for this kind of action is unacceptable,” she warned, adding that the intervention could worsen an already fragile situation.
She also raised concerns about a state of emergency declared by Venezuelan authorities after the operation, which allows property seizures, restricts movement and suspends the right to protest.
“This is not a victory for human rights,” Shamdasani said. “It weakens global security and makes every country less safe.”
The UN’s rights office has monitored Venezuela from Panama since its staff were expelled in early 2024. Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian agency said nearly eight million Venezuelans needed aid even before the US action, though the refugee agency reported no signs yet of mass displacement.
