The United Nations Security Council will convene on Monday after the United States attacked Venezuela and removed longtime President Nicolas Maduro from power, a move UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres warned sets “a dangerous precedent," Reuters reported.
Diplomats said Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the meeting of the 15‑member council. The Security Council has already met twice - in October and December - as tensions between Washington and Caracas escalated.
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States would run Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition." It remains unclear how Trump intends to oversee the country.
Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada sharply condemned the US action in a letter to the council. “This is a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government, freely chosen by our people, and at imposing a puppet government that allows the plundering of our natural resources, including the world’s largest oil reserves," he wrote.
Moncada said the United States had violated the UN Charter, quoting its requirement that “All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."
Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the overnight US military action constituted “a dangerous precedent." He added, “The Secretary‑General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect - by all - of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected."
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz defended the operation on Saturday, writing on social media, “This is not regime change this is justice. Maduro was an indicted, illegitimate dictator that led a declared Narco-terrorism organization responsible for killing American citizens."