At UN, Pakistan calls for diplomacy to resolve Venezuela crisis following US action

Pakistan called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis in Venezuela at the UN Security Council meeting, which met in an emergency session in New York on Monday to address the US rendition of the Latin American country’s President Nicolas Maduro from Caracas, a move that has raised widespread concerns in the region and beyond.

“The UN Charter enjoins us to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to UN Ambassador Usman Jadoon told the 15-member Council.

“Such actions set dangerous precedents that risk eroding the foundations of the global legal framework,” he said, adding, “They also fuel instability, which – as history has shown time and again – can lead to unpredictable and uncontrollable outcomes for years to come.”

At the outset, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked the bedrock principle prohibiting the use of force against the territory and independence of any state, saying there must be “full respect” for the UN Charter, in the face of the US military intervention in Venezuela.

In a statement delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Guterres said the Council was meeting “at a grave time” following the January 3 US military action in Venezuela.

READ MORE: Over a dozen media workers detained in Venezuela, says national press association

In his remarks, Ambassador Jadoon, the Pakistani envoy, voiced “profound concern” over the recent developments in Venezuela, saying, “In a world already beset by multiple crises, escalating tensions and instability in the Caribbean do not augur well for regional and international peace and security.”

At this critical juncture, he said, the path forward must be one of dialogue and diplomacy.

“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.”

Ambassador Jadoon hoped that Latin American and Caribbean region – as a Zone of Peace – will remain free from conflict and confrontation.

“We urge 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 said.

“The good offices of the secretary-general also always remain available for that purpose,” the Pakistani envoy pointed out.

In closing, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to contributing constructively to the discharge of the Security Council’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,” Ambassador Jadoon stressed.

Earlier, US Ambassador Michael Waltz told the Security Council that Washington carried out “a surgical law enforcement operation” to apprehend two indicted fugitives, naming “narco-terrorist Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores”.

Stressing that “there is no war against Venezuela or its people”, he compared the action to the 1989 arrest of Manuel Noriega of Panama. He described Maduro as a fugitive and leader of a “vicious foreign terrorist organisation”, alleging links to drug trafficking networks that use “illegal narcotics as a weapon”.

READ MORE: Venezuela’s Maduro to appear in US court, Trump says further strikes possible

Citing broader human rights concerns, he pointed to alleged extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detentions, noting that more than 8 million Venezuelans have fled the country.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia condemned the United States for what he called armed aggression against Venezuela in violation of international law, urging the US to immediately release the “legitimately elected president” and his spouse.

He called on Council members to abandon double standards and not justify “such an egregious act of aggression” out of fear of the “American global gendarme”.

Warning that the United States seeks control over Venezuela’s natural resources, the Russian envoy said its actions are generating “fresh momentum for neocolonialism and imperialism”.

China’s representative Sun Lei said his country was “deeply shocked by, and strongly condemns,” what he described as the United States’ “unilateral, illegal and bullying acts” against Venezuela.

He accused the United States of “wantonly trampling upon Venezuela’s sovereignty, security and legitimate rights and interests,” placing power above multilateralism and military action above diplomacy.

Warning of a grave threat to peace in Latin America and beyond, the Chinese envoy urged the United States to heed the “overwhelming voice” of the international community and return to dialogue.

Colombia’s Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres, who requested today’s Council meeting, strongly condemned the events of 3 January, stressing that the Charter of the UN permits the use of force only in exceptional circumstances, such as self-defence, and not to seize political control of another State.

She warned that uncertainty caused by the “attacks” could trigger a large influx of migrants, requiring significant resources to support host communities.

As a preventive measure, she said Colombia has taken steps to maintain stability along the border and address potential humanitarian needs, including those of migrants.