The United States’ intervention in Venezuela is against international law and undermines global security, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned on Tuesday. 

Over the weekend, U.S. forces carried out a surprise operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro’s vice president has been sworn in as interim president, and he is facing four criminal charges in the United States, including narco-terrorism. 

“It is clear that the operation undermined a fundamental principle of international law: that states must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” the OHCHR said.
 

The chief spokesperson for the Office, Ravina Shamdasani, told reporters that in order to preserve this idea, the world community must “come together with one voice.” 

She went on to say that the intervention jeopardizes international security rather than promoting human rights. According to Shamdasani, “it sends a signal that the powerful can do whatever they like.” 

She stressed that Venezuela’s future should be determined by its own citizens, cautioning that instability and increased militarization would only make the country’s human rights situation worse.