U.N. Human Rights Office Expresses Concern Over Venezuela Following U.S. Military Operation

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has voiced deep concern over the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela, highlighting the potential implications for international law and the rights of Venezuelan citizens.

In a press briefing on Monday, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasized that the operation “undermined a fundamental principle of international law — that States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”

The statement follows a weekend military operation in which U.S. special forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transported them to the United States to face charges related to narcotics and terrorism.

Since his capture, deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro appeared in a federal district court in Lower Manhattan on Monday, pleading not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, while insisting that his status as a head of state, captured in a military raid, qualifies him as a "prisoner of war" rather than a common criminal defendant.

The courtroom declaration came as the Trump administration moved swiftly to implement a comprehensive strategy to revitalize Venezuela’s dilapidated oil sector through American energy companies—a plan President Trump had hinted at to industry executives weeks before the operation.

President Donald Trump announced that Washington would “run” Venezuela and manage its oil infrastructure until a transition could be arranged, a move that has sparked widespread international scrutiny and concern.

Shamdasani noted that the U.S. justified its intervention on the basis of Venezuela’s “longstanding and appalling human rights record,” but she underscored that “accountability for human rights violations cannot be achieved by unilateral military intervention in violation of international law.”

She stressed that the people of Venezuela “deserve accountability through a fair, victim-centred process,” reiterating the United Nations’ longstanding position on the need for lawful and transparent mechanisms to address abuses.

For more than a decade, the UN Human Rights Office has reported on the deterioration of rights in Venezuela, highlighting violations that have affected freedom of movement, assembly, and political participation.

Shamdasani warned that the recent militarization resulting from the U.S. operation risks exacerbating existing instability. “We fear that the current instability and further militarization in the country resulting from the U.S. intervention will only make the situation worse,” she said.

The Venezuelan authorities declared a state of emergency that took effect on Saturday, authorizing measures that restrict movement, allow the seizure of property for national defense purposes, and suspend the right to assemble and protest.

Shamdasani called on both the U.S. and Venezuelan authorities, as well as the wider international community, to ensure “full respect for international law, including human rights.”

She added that Venezuela’s future must be determined by its citizens, with “full respect for their human rights, including the right to self-determination, and sovereignty over their lives and their resources.”

The U.S. operation has drawn immediate international attention.

According to prior reports from Kurdistan24, the military mission involved approximately 150 aircraft and included airstrikes on multiple military installations around Caracas.

U.S. helicopters inserted special forces to capture Maduro and Flores without resistance, according to U.S. military officials. Images released by the White House showed Maduro in handcuffs aboard a U.S. naval vessel, prompting comparisons to historic U.S. operations targeting foreign leaders.

Following the operation, President Trump signaled that Washington would oversee Venezuela’s political and economic transition, citing plans to employ U.S. oil companies to manage and repair the country’s energy infrastructure.

Trump suggested cooperation with figures from the deposed administration, including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, while dismissing the U.S.-backed opposition leader María Corina Machado as lacking domestic support.

Shamdasani’s statement underscores the UN’s call for adherence to legal norms and human rights principles, in the midst of a situation marked by competing claims of authority.

While U.S. officials maintain that Maduro’s removal represents a lawful law enforcement action targeting criminal conduct, the UN’s human rights office emphasized that unilateral military intervention cannot substitute for legitimate judicial and accountability mechanisms.

The situation leaves Venezuela’s governance in an unprecedented limbo. With Trump asserting the U.S. role in running the country and Rodríguez assuming an acting presidency with military backing, the oil-rich nation faces uncertainty regarding political authority, civil rights, and domestic stability.

In her briefing, Shamdasani urged all parties to respect international law and to ensure that any resolution in Venezuela is guided by the Venezuelan people themselves. She highlighted that lasting solutions must prioritize accountability, human rights, and the sovereignty of citizens over unilateral interventions or external control.

The UN’s position reflects concern that military actions intended to address human rights abuses may inadvertently worsen conditions, increase instability, and limit the ability of Venezuelans to exercise their fundamental rights.

Shamdasani concluded that the High Commissioner calls on the U.S., Venezuelan authorities, and the international community to uphold human rights and legal norms in the resolution of the current crisis.

Venezuela faces uncertainty as U.S. intervention raises questions over sovereignty, law, and the protection of citizens’ rights.