GENEVA/MOSCOW/TEHERAN/CAPE TOWN/MADRID -- The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights is deeply worried about the situation in Venezuela following the US military operation in the country, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a regular press briefing in Geneva, spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said the High Commissioner believes the US action undermines a fundamental principle of international law -- that a state must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state.
She also said, in response to questions from reporters, that the US action breached the UN Charter and damaged the international security architecture, making every country less safe.
She said it was essential for the international community to maintain clarity, stressing that the US action should not be portrayed as a measure taken to defend human rights, but rather as an action carried out in clear violation of international law.
The US action in Venezuela sends a signal that "the powerful can do whatever they like, she added. It weakens the mechanism that we have to prevent further conflict, to prevent even a Third World War, namely the UN," she stressed.
"This is why we're calling on all states to speak with one voice in defense of the UN Charter and in defense of international law," she said.
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Russia says ready to support Venezuela
Russia stands ready to provide the necessary support to Venezuela following US strikes on the South American nation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday in a statement.
"We firmly believe that Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to independently determine its own destiny without any form of destructive external interference," the statement published on the ministry's official website read.
Delcy Rodriguez, previously vice president of Venezuela, was sworn in on Monday as the acting president of the country, after President Nicolas Maduro was seized by force on Jan 3 during a US military operation against Venezuela.
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that this step demonstrated the Venezuelan government's determination to ensure unity and uphold the power structure established in compliance with domestic legislation, mitigate the risks of a constitutional crisis, and create the necessary conditions for the continued peaceful and stable development of Venezuela in the face of "blatant neocolonial threats and external armed aggression."
Moscow welcomed the efforts made by the legitimate authorities of Venezuela to defend state sovereignty and national interests, and reaffirmed Russia's unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people and government.
"We consistently advocate for the de-escalation of the current situation and the resolution of all existing issues through constructive dialogue and respect for international law and the UN Charter. Latin America and the Caribbean must remain a zone of peace. The sovereign development of all countries in the region must be guaranteed," the statement added.
Iran, Cuba and Brazil condemn US
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has condemned the US "military aggression" against Venezuela and the abduction of its President Nicolas Maduro in phone calls with his Cuban and Brazilian counterparts.
During the two phone conversations, Araghchi also discussed the latest regional and international developments as well as bilateral ties with Cuba's Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla and Brazil's Mauro Vieira, according to statements released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday night.
The US action is in "flagrant violation" of the UN Charter and international law, Araghchi said, urging all governments and the UN to voice their decisive and explicit opposition to Washington's "dangerous law-breaking."
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He warned about the "precarious" consequences of US "bullying" for the rule of law in international relations, stressing that such unilateral actions severely threatened the foundations of the international law-based world order and normalized the use of force against states.
Rodriguez condemned the US "illegal" actions in the Caribbean and Latin America, especially its "unlawful invasion" against Venezuela and the abduction of its president, saying such actions compromised the region's security.
He expressed Cuba's determination to stand against any foreign threat and highlighted the necessity to enhance cooperation and ensure coordination among friendly countries to counter such "belligerent" unilateralism.
Vieira also denounced the US actions against Venezuela as "clear violations" of the UN Charter, stressing that the issue will be pursued at the meetings of the UN Security Council, the Organization of American States, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
The three ministers called for greater and closer bilateral and multilateral cooperation and coordination among developing countries as well as within the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement to counter unilateralism and support international law and the UN Charter's principles, read the statements.
The US military struck Venezuela on Saturday, capturing President Maduro and his wife and transferring them to the United States.
For months, the United States has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, much of it off Venezuela's coast, purportedly to combat drug trafficking -- a claim Venezuela has denounced as an attempt to bring about regime change in Caracas.
South Africa's ruling party condemns US
South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday strongly condemned US "imperialist aggression" against Venezuela, warning that such actions violate international law and threaten global peace and stability.
In a statement, the ANC said it "condemns the recent acts of aggression directed at the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which constitute a serious violation of international law, national sovereignty and the principles governing peaceful relations between states."
It described the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his family as an act that "undermines the United Nations Charter and threatens global peace and stability at a time when the world requires cooperation, restraint and dialogue."
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The ANC expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people, saying they continue to face sustained political, economic and diplomatic pressure.
Drawing on its own history as a liberation movement, the party said "such aggression is seldom accidental," but is "often driven by contests over strategic resources, control of markets, and resistance to the independent development paths chosen by sovereign nations of the Global South."
"International law must be respected by all states, without exception or selectivity. The principles of sovereign equality, non-interference and peaceful resolution of disputes are the bedrock of a just international order," the ANC reiterated. "Their selective application erodes trust, fuels instability and disproportionately harms developing countries and oppressed people across the globe."
The party called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to act "swiftly and decisively" to uphold international law, prevent further escalation and protect civilian lives, and urged peace-loving people worldwide to demand the "immediate and unconditional release of President Maduro."
Reaffirming its commitment to a just, multipolar international order, the ANC said only collective action and principled cooperation can advance a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable world.
'US operation in Venezuela sets dangerous precedent'
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday said that the US forcible seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro risked pushing the world into a dangerous new era and insisted his country would "not remain silent" in the face of violations of international law.
Speaking to the press after the Coalition of the Willing meeting for Ukraine in Paris, Sanchez said "The operation in Caracas sets a terrible and very dangerous precedent that pushes the world toward a future of uncertainty and insecurity, as we already suffered after other invasions driven by the thirst for oil."
He stressed that Spain could not recognize the legitimacy of a military action that violates international law and appears to serve no purpose other than overthrowing a government to seize its natural resources.
The Spanish government has been strongly critical of the attack on Venezuela, with Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares saying on Monday that the attack was "clearly contrary to international law" and that "the use of violent means and force must be completely absent" from foreign policy.
Sanchez also said "We cannot accept it, just as we cannot accept the threat to the territorial integrity of a European state like Denmark," referring US President Donald Trump's threat to annex the Danish territory of Greenland.
"We will not remain silent in the face of increasingly frequent violations of international law. We will always stand on the side of legality. We will use all the resources at our disposal to strengthen multilateralism," Sanchez noted.
