United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning regarding Venezuela’s deteriorating stability in the wake of recent U.S. military operations within the South American nation. During an emergency session of the UN Security Council convened on January 5th, Guterres articulated profound apprehensions about the potential escalation of regional instability and the dangerous precedent set by these developments.
The Secretary-General emphasized that the current crisis represents an alarming escalation of Venezuela’s prolonged political and economic turmoil, which has drawn international scrutiny since the controversial July 2024 presidential elections. Guterres revealed that electoral observation panels commissioned by the Venezuelan government itself had identified serious procedural irregularities, while repeated calls for electoral transparency from international bodies went unheeded.
The situation reached a critical juncture with a pre-dawn U.S. military strike that resulted in approximately 40 casualties and the subsequent capture of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Both were transported to New York where they faced federal charges related to firearms and cocaine trafficking, entering not guilty pleas during their Monday arraignment.
Guterres expressed particular concern over interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s declaration of a nationwide emergency decree on January 3rd, which significantly expanded government security powers. The UN chief stressed that the military action constituted a clear violation of international law, specifically the UN Charter’s prohibition against the use of force against sovereign states’ territorial integrity.
The Secretary-General concluded that maintaining international peace and security depends entirely on member states’ unwavering commitment to uphold these fundamental principles, warning that the current trajectory could have devastating consequences for Venezuela and the broader Latin American region.