UN says US raid in Venezuela violates international law, risks deepening crisis

The United Nations has condemned the United States’ weekend military operation in Venezuela, saying the air strikes and forcible seizure of President Nicolas Maduro amount to a breach of international law and could further destabilise the country.

Speaking in Geneva on Tuesday, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the action undermined the fundamental principle that prohibits the use of force against the sovereignty and political independence of states.

“States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” Shamdasani said, adding that the international community must “come together with one voice” to make clear that the operation contravenes international law.

US special forces, supported by warplanes, naval assets and air strikes, seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the early hours of Saturday. Maduro was flown to the United States and appeared in a New York court on Monday, where he denied drug trafficking and other charges brought against him, insisting he had been kidnapped and remains Venezuela’s president.

Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013 after succeeding Hugo Chavez, has been accused by the United States and the European Union of rigging elections, most recently in 2024, jailing opponents and presiding over widespread corruption.

While acknowledging the UN’s long-standing concerns over the deterioration of human rights in Venezuela, Shamdasani rejected Washington’s justification for the operation.

“Accountability for human rights violations cannot be achieved through unilateral military intervention in violation of international law,” she said, warning that using human rights as a pretext for military action was unacceptable and likely to worsen the situation.

She noted that Venezuelan authorities declared a state of emergency following the operation, granting powers to seize property, restrict movement and suspend the right to protest.

“Far from being a victory for human rights, this military intervention damages the architecture of international security and makes every country less safe,” Shamdasani said.

The UN human rights office has been monitoring developments from Panama since its staff were expelled from Venezuela in early 2024. According to the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, nearly eight million Venezuelans – about a quarter of the population – were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the US intervention.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said it had yet to see signs of mass displacement since Saturday but was closely watching the situation. Its spokesperson, Eujin Byun, said UN agencies were ready to support emergency relief efforts and protect displaced people if required.