World less safe after U.S. action in Venezuela – UN Huindividual Rights Office

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned Tuesday that U.S. intervention in Venezuela violates international law and makes the world less safe. U.S. forces ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a surprise operation over the weekend. Maduro faces four criminal charges in the U.S., including narco-terrorism, and his vice president has been sworn in as interim president. 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. Ravina Shamdasani, the Offices chief spokesperson, told reporters that the international community must come together with one voice to uphold this principle.  She added that the intervention, far from advancing human rights, undermines global security. It sends a signal that the powerful can do whatever they like, Shamdasani said. She emphasized that the future of Venezuela should be decided by its own people, warning that instability and further militarization would only worsen the human rights situation in the country. .