By:Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News|
The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Monday amid rising international tensions following the arrest and indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on U.S. narco-terrorism charges, setting the stage for a sharp diplomatic confrontation between Washington and Caracas.
Addressing the Council on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo warned that the developments risk deepening instability in Venezuela and could have serious repercussions for the wider region. She also raised concerns about the precedent such actions may establish for relations between sovereign states.
DiCarlo emphasized that international law must be upheld, noting that the UN Charter explicitly prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. She urged all parties, including Venezuela’s neighbours and the broader international community, to act in solidarity and strictly adhere to international legal principles to preserve peace and stability.
The United States, however, strongly defended its actions. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told the Security Council that Washington carried out what he described as a “successful and surgical operation” against two indicted fugitives from American justice—Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Waltz accused Maduro of being responsible for destabilizing the Western Hemisphere, orchestrating narco-terrorism operations that harm the United States, and repressing the Venezuelan people while clinging to power illegitimately. He maintained that the U.S. remains committed to protecting its citizens from the impacts of drug trafficking and terrorism and said Washington seeks peace, liberty, and justice for the Venezuelan people.
Venezuela’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, delivered a forceful rebuttal, accusing the United States of carrying out an illegal armed attack against Venezuela. He told the Council that the events surrounding Maduro’s arrest amounted to a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Moncada alleged that the operation involved the bombing of Venezuelan territory, loss of civilian and military lives, destruction of infrastructure, and what he described as the “kidnapping” of Venezuela’s constitutional president and his wife. He warned that international peace cannot be sustained if international law is applied selectively or subject to double standards.
He stressed that respect for sovereignty and the prohibition against the use of force are foundational principles of the UN system. He said the January 3 operation represented a dangerous breach of those norms.
The heated exchange underscored deep divisions within the international community. It highlighted growing uncertainty about the geopolitical fallout from Maduro’s arrest, as the crisis continues to unfold on both diplomatic and legal fronts.
