The United Nations has said that the US air strikes on Venezuela and the arrest of the country’s leader over the weekend amount to a serious violation of international law, warning that the action undermines core global principles governing relations between states.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva on Tuesday, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, stressed that “States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”
“And this is what we are seeing,” she said, urging the international community to “come together with one voice… to make clear that this is an action that in contravention of the international law that was set up by member states”.
According to reports, US special forces supported by warplanes, naval assets and air strikes stormed Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday, forcibly arresting President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Maduro appeared before a New York court on Monday, where he denied drug trafficking and other charges filed by Washington, insisting that he had been abducted and remained Venezuela’s legitimate president.
He assumed office in 2013 after succeeding his political mentor, the late Hugo Chavez.
The United States and the European Union have repeatedly accused Maduro of clinging to power through manipulated elections, most recently in 2024, jailing political opponents and presiding over widespread corruption.
Shamdasani noted that the UN human rights office had for years documented the “continued deterioration” of conditions in Venezuela.
However, she rejected Washington’s justification for the operation, arguing that accountability for human rights abuses “cannot be achieved by unilateral military intervention in violation of international law”.
“Using human rights arguments as a justification for this kind of military intervention is unacceptable,” she said, adding that she feared the US action “will only make the situation worse”.
She also drew attention to a state of emergency declared by Venezuelan authorities on Saturday, which permits property seizures, restricts freedom of movement and suspends the right to protest, among other measures.
“Far from being a victory for human rights, this military intervention… damages the architecture of international security, making every country less safe,” Shamdasani warned.
The UN rights office has continued monitoring developments from Panama since its international staff were expelled from Venezuela in early 2024.
Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, said that nearly eight million people in Venezuela, about a quarter of the population, were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the US operation.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said there were no immediate signs of mass displacement following Saturday’s events.
UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun said the agency was closely watching the situation and confirmed that UN bodies were prepared to “support emergency relief efforts and to protect displaced people in need as required”.
What you should know
The UN’s reaction highlights growing global concern over the implications of US military action in Venezuela, particularly its impact on international law and regional stability.
While Maduro’s government has long faced criticism over governance, elections and human rights, the UN insists that military intervention without multilateral approval sets a dangerous precedent.
With millions already dependent on humanitarian aid and emergency powers now in effect, the situation risks further worsening living conditions for ordinary Venezuelans while deepening international tensions.
