Source: Amnesty International –
The 3 January US attack on Venezuela was an unlawful use of force under the UN Charter, further threatening the rules-based international order. Meanwhile, the crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Maduro government against the Venezuelan people remain without justice or guarantees of non-repetition, warned Amnesty International today.
“The US military operation in Venezuela constitutes a clear violation of the UN Charter. It is an act of aggression that endangers civilians and tears apart the guardrails of international law. Not only was the Trump administration’s use of force illegal, but it could encourage unlawful actions by other states and herald similar future actions by the USA,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
As President Trump himself has stated, control over resources and geopolitical power in the region have largely driven the 3 January attack. He has since openly claimed authority to direct policy in Venezuela, even as acting President Delcy Rodríguez maintains defiant rhetoric while effectively cooperating with the USA. Amid the uncertainty generated by the volatile internal situation and the persistence of the state’s repressive apparatus, the Venezuelan population faces increasing US interference, failure to deliver comprehensive and lasting human rights solutions, and threats of further harm to their rights and security.
Amnesty International unequivocally condemns both the unlawful use of force by the United States and the multiple crimes by the Venezuelan authorities against the people of Venezuela.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General
“Impunity for the crimes against humanity committed by Venezuelan authorities under Maduro for more than a decade is so far continuing under Delcy Rodríguez’s acting government. Even as prisoners are being released, no meaningful steps toward justice, nor guarantees of non-repetition, have been taken. At the same time, threats to civic space continue, and human rights defenders and their organizations continue to face the risk of persecution and criminalization,” said Agnès Callamard.
“Let us be clear: Amnesty International unequivocally condemns both the unlawful use of force by the United States and the multiple crimes by the Venezuelan authorities against the people of Venezuela. Denouncing the United States’ illegal military action must in no way overshadow the urgent need for accountability and reparation for the Venezuelan government’s litany of grave human rights violations and crimes against humanity.
“Two wrongs don’t make a right. There must be full accountability and redress for the Trump administration’s illegal attack on Venezuela, and for the crimes under international law committed by the Venezuelan authorities.”
President Trump’s open-ended threats to escalate unilateral military action elsewhere, paired with rhetoric about “running” Venezuela and controlling its oil, accelerate the dismantling of the rules of international law designed to protect civilians and prevent conflict, threatening human rights across the world. Since attacking Venezuela, President Trump has threatened to use military force against Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, Iran and Mexico. Meanwhile, China continues to engage in threatening actions against Taiwan and its neighbors, and Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine and has engaged in overflights into NATO airspace.
“Make no mistake, these are calculated efforts to normalize a ‘might-makes-right’ approach to foreign affairs and sideline the UN Charter, Geneva Conventions, human rights treaties, and other bedrocks of international order. Other states must push back against these reckless efforts to dismantle the global rules designed to maintain peace, protect civilians in conflict, and guarantee the human rights of all people everywhere.”