UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said the capture of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by U.S. special forces in the early hours of Saturday is “a dangerous precedent”.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Stéphane Dujarric, UN Spokesperson, on Saturday in New York
Guterres said he is “deeply alarmed” over the standoff between the United States and Venezuela in recent months, which culminated on Saturday’s reported capture of Maduro.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the military action in Venezuela on his Truth social media.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country.
“This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow,” Trump posted.
Similarly, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife would face “the full wrath of American justice on American soil, in American courts”.
Maduro was indicted in 2020 in New York during the first Trump administration.
The U.S. operation on Saturday began with overnight strikes in and around the capital, Caracas.
Venezuela has declared a state of national emergency, with casualty figures and the extent of the damage yet to be confirmed.
The Venezuelan Government denounced the act of “extremely serious military aggression” by the U.S., which followed months of increasing tension.
This included a major military build up off the Venezuela coast and a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats.
The U.S. has ordered the seizure of sanctioned oil tankers in recent weeks amid threats that it would launch land operations to force Maduro out of office.
“The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region.”
“Independently of the situation in Venezuela, these developments constitute a dangerous precedent.
“The Secretary-General continues to emphasise the importance of full respect – by all – of international law, including the UN Charter,” the statement added.
“He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
Guterres called on all parties involved to engage in “inclusive dialogue” in accordance with human rights and international law.
Venezuela has formally asked the Security Council to meet in emergency session in New York.
