The Illegality of the US Strike on Venezuela

🚨 Background of the Incident

• After a large-scale military strike in Venezuela, US troops captured the Venezuelan President and his wife

• The US accused them of running a “narco-terrorist organisation”

• The action was unilateral, unprovoked, and unprecedented

• Unlike the Panama invasion, there was no prior attack on US personnel

• This amounts to a clear violation of international law and state sovereignty

🌍 Violation of International Law & UN Charter

Key UN Charter Provisions Violated

• Article 1(1): Maintenance of international peace and security

• Article 2(1): Sovereign equality of States

• Article 2(4): Prohibition on use of force against territorial integrity or political independence of any State

➡️ Unilateral military action on Venezuelan soil violates all three principles

⚖️ “Law Enforcement Operation” Argument Rejected

• The US claimed it was a targeted law enforcement mission

• However:

  • The scale and nature of the strike exceeded law enforcement limits

  • Operations without host State consent still violate sovereignty

• Even lawful policing cannot be carried out extraterritorially without permission

🚫 Drug Trafficking ≠ Armed Conflict

• Drug trafficking is a serious criminal issue

• But:

  • It does not meet the threshold of armed conflict

  • It cannot justify military intervention

• No evidence that:

  • Venezuela attacked the US

  • Drug traffickers posed a direct threat to US sovereignty

🏛️ Removal of Maduro: Illegal Intervention

• Article 2(7) UN Charter:

  • Prohibits intervention in a State’s domestic affairs

• Authoritarianism or illegitimacy of a leader

  • ❌ Does not justify use of force

• As Prof. Michael Schmitt states:

  Arrest or seizure on foreign territory without consent is a sovereignty violation

⚠️ Exceptions Under International Law – Not Applicable

1️⃣ Self-Defence (Article 51)

• Requires:

  • An actual or imminent armed attack

• Venezuela:

  • ❌ Did not attack the US

  • ❌ Was not about to attack

• Drug trafficking cannot trigger self-defence

➡️ Self-defence exception fails

2️⃣ UN Security Council Authorization (Chapter VII)

• ❌ No UN Security Council approval

• ❌ No mandate

➡️ Use of force unlawful

3️⃣ Humanitarian Intervention

• Claimed to protect civilians from Maduro’s regime

• However:

  • Unilateral humanitarian intervention lacks legal consensus

  • Inconsistent State practice prevents it from becoming binding law

• Many States reject intervention without UN approval

➡️ Exception not applicable

💰 Economic Motives Cannot Justify Force

• Trump blamed Venezuela for stealing US oil interests

• As noted by Dr. Yusra Suedi:

  • Strategic or economic interests never justify use of force

• Violating law to “enforce” law sets a dangerous precedent

🇺🇸 Violation of US Domestic Law

• The operation lacked Congressional approval

• Under the US Constitution:

  • The President cannot unilaterally take the country to war

• Hence:

  • ❌ Violates both international law and US constitutional law

🌐 Conclusion

• The strike represents:

  • Repeated violations of international law

  • Erosion of the UN-based legal order

• The international community must:

  • Condemn such actions through UN General Assembly resolutions

• As stated by the UNGA President:

  The UN Charter is not optional

🕊️ Final Thought

A peaceful and just world is possible only when the rule of law prevails over “might makes right.”