Venezuela Ambassador to the United Nations Samuel Reinaldo Moncada Acosta speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on U.S. strikes and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, U.S., January 5, 2026. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
UNITED NATIONS: American allies including France objected to the military incursion into a sovereign state and the capture of the Venezuelan president as a violation of international law.
Some of the staunchest U.S. allies criticized the raid that captured Venezuela’s leader two days ago, using an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to object to a military operation that landed the autocrat before a federal judge on Monday.
The U.N. secretary general, António Guterres, said the Trump administration had violated the U.N. charter with the nighttime raid in Caracas that used roughly 200 members of the U.S. military’s special forces to take President Nicolás Maduro and his wife into custody. Member nations of the Security Council described the raid as a violation of international law, and representatives from Russia and China demanded the couple’s release.
Russia and China strongly condemned the United States during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday, accusing Washington of violating international law through its military intervention in Venezuela.
The criticism followed a US-led military operation that included deadly strikes and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Both countries said the operation breached Venezuela’s sovereignty and undermined the principles of the UN Charter.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told the Security Council there was “no justification” for Washington’s actions. He described the operation as a crime against Venezuela and said the detention and transfer of President Maduro violated international norms.
“There is no, and can be no justification for the crimes cynically perpetrated by the United States against Venezuela,” Nebenzya said, warning that the move signaled a dangerous return to domination by force and global lawlessness.
China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Geng Shuang, said Beijing was “deeply shocked” by the US action. He described the operation as “illegal and bullying,” arguing that it directly contradicts the principles of sovereignty and non-interference outlined in the UN Charter.
China joined Russia in calling for the immediate release of President Maduro and his wife from US custody and urged all parties to de-escalate tensions through dialogue.
The emergency session highlighted deep divisions within the Security Council, with Russia and China warning that continued military actions could further destabilize the region.
Sources: United Nations Security Council meeting; statements by Russian and Chinese UN representatives.
