NEW YORK (Kashmir English): The UN Security Council has called for an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the US military operation in Venezuela, which led to the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called the move a dangerous precedent.
Colombia, which is backed by Russia and China, requested the emergency meeting of the 15-member council.
Antonio Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the secretary-general “emphasizes the importance of full respect for all international law, including the UN Charter. He is deeply concerned that international law has not been respected.”
He added that, regardless of the situation in Venezuela, this development sets a dangerous precedent.
The UN Security Council has already held two meetings in October and December to discuss the escalating tensions between the US and Venezuela.
Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada wrote to the Security Council, calling the action a colonial war and an attempt to destroy our democratic government.
He accused the US of violating the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
Moreover, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, arrested by the US military in Caracas and transferred to New York a day earlier, will be presented in a US court today to face charges of drug-related offences.
His wife, Cilia Flores, was also with him during the arrest. According to US authorities, Nicolas Maduro has been charged with multiple drug-related offenses, as well as conspiracy.
He will be held at Brooklyn’s notorious Metropolitan Detention Centre, known and recognized for its strict and “inhumane” security.
Before him, famous prisoners such as Joaquin Guzman, Sean Combs, Luigi Mangione, and Ghislaine Maxwell have been held there.
During the arrest, multiple explosions occurred in Caracas and planes flew at low altitudes, creating an uncertain situation in the city.
