GENEVA, Switzerland – The United Nations issued a stern condemnation on Tuesday regarding a recent U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, characterizing the operation as a severe breach of fundamental international legal principles. The forceful extraction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores by American commandos has triggered significant diplomatic alarm.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, addressed the media in Geneva, emphasizing the inviolable tenet that nations must refrain from threatening or employing force against the territorial integrity or political sovereignty of any state. This statement directly challenges the legal justifications put forward by the United States for its audacious Saturday dawn operation, which was supported by aerial bombardments over Caracas and a substantial naval presence.
The U.S. administration has defended its actions by citing the Maduro government’s extensive record of egregious human rights abuses. However, Shamdasani explicitly rejected this rationale, asserting that achieving accountability for such violations cannot be accomplished through unilateral military actions that themselves contravene international law. She underscored that her office has meticulously documented the progressive decay of Venezuela’s humanitarian and political climate for over a decade.
Expressing profound apprehension, the UN official warned that the current instability, exacerbated by the U.S. intervention and the ensuing militarization within Venezuela, threatens to intensify the nation’s pre-existing crises rather than alleviate them. The incident marks a significant escalation in international tensions surrounding the Venezuelan situation.