World is less safe after US action in Venezuela, says UN Human Rights Office

Military intervention harms international security, spokesperson says

Venezuela Ambassador to the United Nations Samuel Reinaldo Moncada Acosta speaks as he holds up a news article, during a UN Security Council meeting on US strikes and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, US, Jan 5, 2026. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

The world community must make clear that US intervention in Venezuela is a violation of international law that makes the world less safe, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday.

US forces ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a surprise operation at the weekend. He faces four criminal charges in the US, including narco-terrorism, and Maduro's vice president has been sworn in as interim president.

"It is clear 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," said the Office.

"The international community needs to come together with one voice to insist on that," chief spokesperson for the Office, Ravina Shamdasani, told reporters.

Far from being a victory for human rights, the military intervention damages the architecture of international security and makes every country less safe, she said.

"It sends a signal that the powerful can do whatever they like," she added.

The future of Venezuela must be determined by its people alone, she said, adding instability and further militarisation would only make the human rights situation there worse.