Venezuela move draws condemnation

The United States is facing widespread condemnation, even from its allies, for its military operation against Venezuela and the abduction of its president, Nicolas Maduro.

At a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting held on Monday, countries criticized the US' unilateral action, saying it violated the UN Charter and international laws, undermining multilateralism.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced deep concern over the lack of respect for international law in the US military action against Venezuela on Saturday.

He was also worried about further destabilization in Venezuela, the potential impact on the region and the precedent that the US move may set on how relations between and among states are conducted.

Sophia Tesfamariam Yohannes, permanent representative of Eritrea to the UN, said acts of the US "constitute a clear breach of international law and of each and every principle governing international relations".

Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's UN ambassador, said the US military move against Venezuela "constitutes state terrorism, a manifest violation of the UN Charter and peremptory norms of international law, and amounts to an internationally wrongful act and a full-fledged act of aggression".

Venezuela's UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada requested action from the Security Council, urging it to fully assume its responsibility and act in accordance with the mandate conferred on it by the UN Charter.

"Venezuela comes before this Council today with a deep conviction that international peace can only be sustained if international law is respected without exception, without double standards, and without selective interpretations," he said.

In Japan, the US operation has met with criticism from political figures and the media, who warned that it undermines international law and the postwar rules-based order.

Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, said the operation raised "serious doubts" about whether it could be justified under international law.

The Nikkei newspaper commented that the action may have disregarded three core pillars of legal order — respect for national sovereignty, the role of the US Congress, and the postwar rules-based system.

Hadi Rahmat Purnama, an assistant professor of international law at Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta, said: "Applying national jurisdiction against other (sovereign) countries… should not be done by any country. It can be considered an act of war."

Washington's stated position of not recognizing the Maduro government "should not be a reason for the US to abduct Maduro and his wife", he said.

Agencies contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at houjunjie@chinadaily.com.cn