UN Experts Condemn “Unprecedented” US Military Aggression Against Venezuela

In a rare and forceful rebuke, a coalition of United Nations human rights experts has condemned what they describe as a large-scale military assault by the United States on Venezuela, including the bombing of Caracas and other cities, and the forcible abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Calling the actions “a grave, manifest and deliberate violation of the most fundamental principles of international law,” the UN experts warned that the aggression sets a dangerous precedent with potentially destabilizing consequences for Latin America and the broader international order.

A Breach of the UN Charter

The experts emphasized that the unprovoked use of armed force on Venezuelan soil constitutes a clear breach of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits member states from threatening or using force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any nation. They further stated that such conduct may amount to the international crime of aggression—a charge that could be attributable to individual U.S. political and military leaders.

According to reports cited in the statement, the military operations have already resulted in an unknown number of civilian casualties. The violence is compounded, the experts noted, by a series of prior coercive measures imposed by the U.S., including a naval blockade, the armed seizure of oil tankers, and the extrajudicial killing of at least 115 civilians allegedly tied to drug trafficking—actions they say violate both international humanitarian law and the fundamental right to life.

Violation of Head-of-State Immunity

The UN experts also underscored that under customary international law, sitting heads of state enjoy immunity from foreign criminal jurisdiction while in office—a principle affirmed by the International Court of Justice in its landmark 2002 “Arrest Warrant” case. This protection, they stressed, applies regardless of diplomatic recognition or political opinion.

“The forcible removal of President Maduro not only breaches sovereignty but flouts long-standing legal norms designed to preserve global stability,” the statement read.

Part of a Broader Pattern of “Gunboat Diplomacy”

Far from being an isolated incident, the experts framed the attack as part of a troubling trend of unilateralism and militarism by the United States. They pointed to repeated acts of extrajudicial killings, coercive diplomacy, and even sanctions against officials of the International Criminal Court and a UN Special Rapporteur as evidence of a systematic erosion of multilateralism.

“These practices signal a deliberate challenge to the international legal order,” the experts warned. “If tolerated, such actions would normalize lawlessness in international relations and fatally undermine the global order.”

Concerns Over Resource Exploitation and Self-Determination

Particular alarm was raised over public remarks by the U.S. President, who declared that the U.S. would “rule the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition” and boasted about extracting “a tremendous amount of wealth out of the ground.” The experts interpreted these comments as a direct affront to the right of peoples to self-determination and control over their natural resources—rights enshrined in Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the U.S. has been a party since 1992.

“Venezuela’s vast natural resources, including the largest proven oil reserves in the world, must not be cynically exploited through thinly veiled pretexts to legitimise military aggression, foreign occupation, or regime-change strategies,” the statement asserted.

They urged governments and corporations alike to avoid complicity in what they described as “imperial strategies” that violate human rights and foundational principles of non-intervention.

A Call for Global Solidarity

Recalling Latin America’s history of colonial and imperial interventions—and its legacy of resistance—the experts insisted that Venezuela’s future must be shaped solely by its own people, through inclusive dialogue, democratic governance, and respect for human rights.

“The future of Venezuela must be determined by the Venezuelan people alone… free from external coercion, military force or economic strangulation,” they declared.

In closing, the UN experts called on all member states to condemn the U.S. aggression and take decisive action to uphold international law. “Upholding international law is an imperative for the survival of a democratic and equitable international order rooted in the rule of law,” they said.

The statement was issued by 18 UN mandate holders, including Special Rapporteurs on human rights, development, racism, housing, and unilateral coercive measures, as well as members of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries. While operating independently of the UN Secretariat, these experts serve under the Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures mechanism and are widely regarded as authoritative voices on international human rights standards.

As global tensions mount, the international community now faces a critical test: whether it will defend the rules-based order—or allow might to dictate right.