ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s United Nations envoy this week described Washington’s military action in Venezuela as a dangerous precedent at a Security Council meeting, calling on all parties to resolve the ongoing crisis in the country through dialogue and diplomacy.
The comments from Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the UN Usman Jadoon came after the US military conducted air strikes in Venezuela last week, “abducting” the country’s President Nicolas Maduro and whisking him to New York to face drug-trafficking charges. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington was running Venezuela through its pressure on Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez.
Speaking at an emergency meeting called by the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in Venezuela on Monday, Jadoon said Islamabad viewed the ongoing developments in the country with “profound concern.” He noted that the UN Charter enjoins nations to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state. The envoy also pointed out that the charter binds member states to the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of others and settlement of international disputes through peaceful means.
“Unilateral military action contravenes these sacrosanct principles and the doctrine of sovereign immunity,” Jadoon said. “Such actions set dangerous precedents that risk eroding the foundations of the global legal framework.”
The Pakistani envoy warned that unilateral military actions can also fuel instability, saying it can lead to “unpredictable and uncontrollable” outcomes for years.
“At this critical juncture, the path forward must be one of dialogue and diplomacy,” Jadoon said. “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.”
He hoped Latin America and the Caribbean regions would remain free from conflict and confrontation to continue their path toward enhanced regional cooperation.
“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 utilizing the sincere offers of mediation,” Jadoon added.
Other countries criticized Trump for ordering strikes against Venezuela and “abducting” its president during the Security Council meeting. These included Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Eritrea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and Spain.
“The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line,” Sérgio França Danese, the Brazilian ambassador to the UN, told participants of the meeting. “These acts constitute a very serious affront to the sovereignty of Venezuela and set an extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community.”
António Guterres, the UN secretary general, warned Maduro’s “abduction” risked intensifying instability in Venezuela and across the region.
“I am deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in the country, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted,” Guterres said in a statement released by the UN.
