WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The United States has justified at UN Security Council its military strikes on the Venezuelan capital and seizure of President Nicolas Maduro.
The Security Council met on Monday against a sharply altered diplomatic backdrop, where members were split over whether Washington's move upholds accountability or undermines a foundational principle of international order.
Some delegations argued the action was exceptional and justified; others warned it risks normalizing unilateral force and eroding state sovereignty.
The United States rejected characterizations of its actions as military aggression, describing the operation as a targeted law enforcement measure facilitated by the military to arrest an indicted fugitive.
US Ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz said Nicolas Maduro is not a legitimate head of State following disputed 2024 elections. He told the Council that Saturday's operation was necessary to combat narcotics trafficking and transnational organized crime threatening U.S. and regional security. He cited historical precedents, including the 1989 arrest of Panama's former leader Manuel Noriega.
'There is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country. This was a law-enforcement operation in furtherance of lawful indictments that have existed for decades,' he said.
Venezuelan Ambassador Samuel Moncada described his country as the target of an illegitimate armed attack lacking any legal justification, accusing the US of bombing Venezuelan territory, the loss of civilian and military lives, and the 'kidnapping' of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
Calling on the Council to act under its Charter mandate, he urged that the US government should be required to respect the immunity of Maduro and his wife and ensure their immediate release and safe return.
Several countries expressed deep concern over the US military action, grounding their positions firmly in the UN Charter.
Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Panama underscored their region's long-standing declaration as a zone of peace and warned that unilateral military action risked destabilizing the Western hemisphere and aggravating displacement flows.
Invoking the bedrock principle prohibiting the use of force against the territory and independence of any State, the UN Secretary-General told the Security Council there must be 'full respect' for the UN Charter, in the face of the United States military intervention in Venezuela and seizure of President Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN chief expressed deep concern over possible intensification of instability in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, gunfire was reportedly heard near the presidential palace in the Venezuelan capital Caracas Monday night. But according to the Ministry of Communication and Information, the entire country is completely calm.
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
