US operation in Venezuela is an ‘act of aggression,’ UN chief says – National

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed concerns about a possible intensification of instability in Venezuela after the US capture of the Latin American country’s President Nicolas Maduro.

The 15-member Security Council met at UN headquarters in New York hours before Maduro was scheduled to appear in federal court in Manhattan for drug-related charges, including narcoterrorist conspiracy. Maduro has denied any criminal involvement.

“I am deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in the country, its potential impact on the region and the precedent this could set in the way interstate relations are conducted,” Guterres said in a statement delivered to the Council by UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo.

Guterres called on all Venezuelan actors to engage in inclusive and democratic dialogue, adding: “I welcome and am ready to support all efforts to help Venezuelans find a peaceful path forward.” »

He also expressed concern that the US operation to capture Maduro in Caracas on Saturday did not respect the rules of international law.

Colombia, which requested Monday’s meeting, condemned the US operation as a flagrant violation of the country’s sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity. Venezuela.

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“There is no justification, whatever the circumstances, for the unilateral use of force to commit an act of aggression,” Colombian Ambassador to the UN Leonor Zalabata Torres told the Council.

“Such actions constitute a serious violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. »

Legal experts said the U.S. operation was illegal because it did not have authorization from the U.N. Security Council, did not have Venezuela’s consent and did not constitute self-defense against an armed attack.

But the United States cannot be held responsible for any violations by the UN Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security. The United States has a veto – alongside Russia, China, Britain and France – to be able to block any action.

The founding Charter of the UN states that members “shall refrain, in their international relations, from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State.” There are currently 193 members of the United Nations.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz on Sunday cited Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which states that nothing “shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense in the event of an armed attack against any member of the United Nations.”

Trump has threatened to launch a new strike if Venezuela does not cooperate to open its oil industry and stop the flow of drugs. Trump also threatened Colombia and Mexico, and said Cuba’s communist government “seems ready to fall.”