The United Nations has strongly criticised recent US air strikes on Venezuela and the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro, warning that the action undermines core principles of international law.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the operation violated the long-standing rule that states must not use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another country.
“This is what we are seeing,” Shamdasani said, urging the international community to “come together with one voice” to affirm that the action contravenes international law agreed upon by UN member states.
US commandos, backed by warplanes, naval forces and air strikes, reportedly seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the early hours of Saturday. Maduro appeared in a New York court on Monday to deny US charges of drug trafficking and related offences, insisting he was kidnapped and remains Venezuela’s legitimate president.
Maduro, who assumed office in 2013 following the death of former president Hugo Chávez, has long been accused by the United States and the European Union of clinging to power through rigged elections and repression of political opponents. Western governments say corruption flourished under his leadership, with the most recent disputed election held in 2024.
Despite years of documenting what it describes as Venezuela’s worsening human rights situation, the UN rejected Washington’s justification for the intervention.
“Accountability for human rights violations cannot be achieved by unilateral military intervention in violation of international law,” Shamdasani said, adding that using human rights arguments to justify such action was “unacceptable” and likely to worsen conditions in the country.
She also expressed concern over a state of emergency declared by Venezuelan authorities on Saturday, which allows property seizures, restricts freedom of movement and suspends the right to protest.
“Far from being a victory for human rights, this military intervention damages the architecture of international security, making every country less safe,” she warned.
The UN human rights office has been monitoring Venezuela from Panama since its international staff were expelled in early 2024.
Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said nearly eight million Venezuelans — about a quarter of the population — required humanitarian assistance even before the US operation. The UN refugee agency UNHCR reported no immediate signs of mass displacement but said it was closely monitoring developments and stood ready to support emergency relief efforts if needed.
