- Pakistan expresses profound concern over Venezuela situation.
- Envoy says US’ unilateral actions set “dangerous precedents”.
- Says path forward must be one of “dialogue and diplomacy”.
NEW YORK: Pakistan on Monday expressed profound concerns over the evolving situation in Venezuela, saying that unilateral military action contravenes the sacrosanct principles of the United Nations Charter and the doctrine of sovereign immunity.
Addressing the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) emergency meeting on the situation in Venezuela, Pakistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, said that such actions set dangerous precedents that risk eroding the foundations of the global legal framework.
The US attacked Venezuela and captured its long-serving President Maduro in an overnight operation on January 3. Addressing a press conference following the attack, US President Donald Trump had announced: “This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American might and competence in American history.”
He further said that Washington would run the oil-rich country until a transition takes place.
Earlier today, the 15-member UNSC met at UN headquarters in New York just hours before Maduro was due to appear in a Manhattan federal court on drug charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy.
“They also fuel instability, which — as history has shown time and again — can lead to unpredictable and uncontrollable outcomes for years to come,” he added.
At this critical juncture, the envoy said the path forward must be one of dialogue and diplomacy. He said that durable solutions to political differences can only be found through peaceful means, with full respect for the will of the Venezuelan people, free from any external interference.
The envoy urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate tensions, pursue peaceful co-existence, refrain from any actions that could exacerbate the volatile situation, and engage in dialogue — including by utilising the sincere offers of mediation.
He affirmed Pakistan’s commitment to contributing constructively to the discharge of the UNSC’s primary responsibility for addressing the threat to international peace and security.
“Peace and stability of Venezuela and the welfare and prosperity of its people, with full ownership, must be the overriding objective of all efforts, he added.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised concerns about a possible intensification of instability in Venezuela after the US capture of the Latin American country’s president, Nicolas Maduro.
“I am deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in the country, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted,” Guterres said in a statement delivered to the council by UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo.
Guterres called on all Venezuelan actors to engage in an inclusive and democratic dialogue, adding: “I welcome and am ready to support all efforts aimed at assisting Venezuelans in finding a peaceful way forward.”
He also expressed concern that the US operation to capture Maduro in Caracas on Saturday did not respect the rules of international law.
‘Act of aggression’
Colombia, which requested Monday’s meeting, condemned the US operation as a clear violation of the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Venezuela.
“There is no justification whatsoever, under any circumstances, for the unilateral use of force to commit an act of aggression,” Colombian UN Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres told the council.
“Such actions constitute a serious violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.”
Legal experts have said the US operation was illegal because it lacked UN Security Council authorisation, did not have Venezuelan consent and did not constitute self-defense against an armed attack.
