The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will convene an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss recent US military operations in Venezuela that reportedly led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, a move UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described as “a dangerous precedent.”
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The meeting was requested by Colombia with the backing of Russia and China, diplomats said. It is scheduled for Monday at 1500 GMT, according to Khadija Ahmed, spokesperson for Somalia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Somalia holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member Security Council for the month of January.
Guterres’ spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said the secretary-general remains deeply concerned about the situation. “The secretary-general continues to emphasise the importance of full respect by all of international law, including the UN Charter,” Dujarric said, adding that the developments raise serious concerns regardless of the situation in Venezuela.
The meeting will be held under the agenda item “Threats to International Peace and Security.” The Security Council has already met twice, in October and December, to address rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
The developments follow an operation ordered by US President Donald Trump, which involved a large-scale raid targeting Venezuelan leadership. According to US officials, the operation included strikes on military installations and temporary power outages in parts of Caracas. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were reportedly taken by US Special Forces and transported to a US naval vessel before being flown to the United States.
Trump said the United States would oversee Venezuela’s administration until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could take place. His administration has repeatedly accused Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, allegations the Venezuelan leader has denied, claiming instead that Washington is seeking control of the country’s vast oil reserves.
Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada wrote to the Security Council on Saturday, condemning the US action as “a colonial war” and accusing Washington of violating the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
