UN Security Council to Meet After US Removes Maduro as International Tensions Rise

The United Nations Security Council is set to meet on Monday following the dramatic US military action in Venezuela that resulted in the removal of longtime President Nicolas Maduro from power, according to Reuters.

The request for the emergency session came from Colombia, with support from Russia and China, diplomats said. The 15-member council has already held two meetings in recent months — in October and December — as the standoff between Washington and Caracas steadily intensified.

US President Donald Trump said yesterday that the United States would administer Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” How that oversight would function in practice has not yet been spelled out.

Strong criticism was delivered by Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, who addressed the Security Council in a sharply worded letter. “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 further argued that Washington’s actions were in direct violation of the UN Charter, citing its provision 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.”

Concerns were also voiced by the office of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. His spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said the overnight operation amounted to “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.”

The United States, for its part, rejected accusations that the move constituted an unlawful seizure of power. US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz defended the action on Saturday in a social media post, stating, “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.”

{Matzav.com}