The legality of the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is to be debated Monday at the United Nations, amid heightened diplomatic tensions but with no immediate prospect of a formal condemnation from Washington. Despite criticism from several countries, US allies are expected to exercise caution during the discussions.
The 15-member UN Security Council will meet following Saturday's operation by US special forces in Venezuela. The raid caused power outages in parts of Caracas, damaged military installations, and, according to Venezuelan authorities, resulted in casualties. Nicolás Maduro has since been detained in New York, where he is scheduled to appear in a US court on drug trafficking charges.
Russia, China, and other countries allied with Caracas have accused the United States of violating international law by conducting this military intervention on the territory of a sovereign state. Washington, for its part, maintains that it acted in self-defense, invoking Article 51 of the UN Charter to justify its actions.
Legal experts, however, believe that the American operation could constitute a violation of international law, given the absence of an explicit mandate from the Security Council or the consent of the Venezuelan authorities. The question of sovereignty and the use of force is therefore expected to dominate diplomatic discussions in New York.
Despite these criticisms, it is unlikely that the Security Council will adopt a binding position against the United States . Washington's veto power limits any possibility of a resolution imposing sanctions or a formal condemnation.
According to Richard Gowan, director of global issues and institutions at the International Crisis Group , the measured reactions of European leaders suggest an ambiguous attitude among US allies. "Judging by the reactions of European leaders so far, I suspect that US allies will display considerable ambivalence at the Security Council," he said, highlighting the political complexity surrounding this issue.
