The Security Council held an emergency session on Venezuela, in which Secretary General Guterres called for respect for the political independence and sovereignty of countries.
In the speech of the Secretary General of the United Nations, read on behalf of Deputy Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo at the emergency meeting of the Security Council in New York today, Mr. Antonio Guterres called on all parties to respect the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries.
“I am extremely concerned about the possibility of escalating instability in this country, the potential impact on the region, as well as the precedent it could create in relations between countries,” Mr. Guterres said, referring to Venezuela.
Mr. Guterres also worried that the rules of international law were “not respected” during the US raid campaign in Venezuela. He emphasized that international law provides the foundation to “maintain” international peace and security.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting at its headquarters in New York, USA on January 5. Image: AP
The UN Secretary General added that international law also has tools to help address drug trafficking, resource disputes and other issues. “This is the path we need to follow,” he said.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session to discuss the raid campaign to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife that the US conducted on January 3.
During the session, Russian ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya condemned the US’s “armed aggression” against the Venezuelan leader, saying that Washington had no legitimate reason to conduct that raid.
Mr. Nebenzya asked the US to release Mr. Maduro, warning that Washington’s actions could open a new era of “colonialism and imperialism” as well as “a return to the era of lawlessness and domination by force of the United States.”
China’s deputy ambassador to the UN also criticized the US campaign, and joined Russia in calling on Washington to release Mr. Maduro and his wife.
Speaking at the meeting, US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz declared that Mr. Maduro’s arrest was a “law enforcement operation”, and emphasized that the US “did not occupy this country”.
“There is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country,” Mr. Waltz declared. The US ambassador said President Donald Trump “gave the opportunity for a diplomatic solution”, but Mr. Maduro refused.
“The United States wants a better future for Venezuela. We believe that a better future for the Venezuelan people, as well as people in the region and around the world, lies in stabilizing this region and making the place we live together a better and safer place,” Mr. Waltz said.
While the session was taking place, Mr. Maduro and his wife were taken to the federal court headquarters in Manhattan, also in New York City, to attend the first hearing on drug charges and a series of other crimes. Mr. Maduro will likely deny these accusations.