United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern about the United States' military actions in Venezuela, warning that they set a "dangerous precedent," his spokesman said on Saturday.
Venezuela and Colombia, backed by Russia and China, have requested a meeting of the 15-member UN Security Council following the US attack on Venezuela and the ouster of the country's autocratic president, Nicolas Maduro. Diplomats said the meeting has not yet been scheduled.
“These developments set a dangerous precedent,” Guterres’ spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said. “The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect for international law by all, including the UN Charter. He is deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
The UN Security Council has met twice before – in October and December – due to escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
Venezuela's UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada wrote to the Security Council on Saturday that the "deadly and treacherous US military attack is being carried out against a country that is at peace," warning that it has "serious implications for regional and international peace and security."
He added that the US has violated the UN Charter, which stipulates that all member states must refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has been targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels off the coast of Venezuela and in the Latin American Pacific for months. The US has increased its military presence in the region and declared a blockade on all ships subject to US sanctions, last month detaining two tankers loaded with Venezuelan crude oil.
In October, the US justified its actions as being in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which requires the Security Council to be notified immediately of any act of self-defense against an armed attack.
Meanwhile, the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, wrote on the X platform that "this is not regime change, but justice", describing Nicolas Maduro as an illegitimate dictator accused of running a declared narco-terrorist organization responsible for the murder of American citizens.
