Four United Nations experts say the United States is doing something wrong by blockading Venezuela with its Navy. They call it illegal and want Congress to do something about it.
The experts said you can’t use force to make other countries follow your rules. The US has sent a large military presence to the Caribbean and is stopping oil tankers that it believes are violating sanctions against Venezuela.
The experts highlighted that a blockade is a prohibited use of military force against another country under the UN Charter. They added that this use of force is recognized as illegal aggression. The experts warned that this illegal force and threats to use more force put lives at risk in Venezuela and the surrounding region.
US President Donald Trump claims Venezuela uses its oil, the country’s main resource, to support “narcoterrorism, human trafficking, murders, and kidnappings.”
Venezuela denies these drug trafficking claims. The U.S. government wants to get rid of President Nicolás Maduro to take over Venezuela’s oil.
Since September, the U.S. has attacked boats it says were smuggling drugs. They haven’t shown proof of this. More than 100 people have died because of these attacks.
US Congress Should Intervene
“The recent killings are wrong and break the right to life. These events should be looked into, and the people responsible should be punished,” the experts said.
“They also want the US Congress to help stop more attacks and lift the blockade,” they added. They asked countries to work together to stop the blockade and the wrong actions and to make sure that those who did bad things are punished.
The message was signed by four experts: Ben Saul, who protects human rights; George Katrougalos, who wants fairness in the world; Surya Deva, who knows about development; and Gina Romero, who supports the right to gather peacefully.
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