Caracas petitions the UN Security Council to label recent U.S. military strikes off Venezuela’s coast as violations of international law and an assault on national sovereignty.
In a sharp escalation of diplomatic tensions, Venezuela has formally requested the United Nations Security Council to determine that U.S. airstrikes on vessels near its coastline were illegal, according to a letter obtained by Reuters on Thursday.
The Venezuelan government urged the Council to “issue a statement affirming Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” after what it called “deadly and unprovoked attacks” by the United States on maritime assets operating in its territorial waters.
Details of the alleged incident remain limited, but Venezuelan officials claim that several boats were destroyed and crew members killed when U.S. forces targeted what Washington described as “hostile armed vessels engaged in illicit operations” in the Caribbean region. Caracas has rejected those claims, insisting the vessels were civilian-operated and within Venezuelan jurisdiction.
The appeal to the UN marks the latest flashpoint in the increasingly fraught relationship between President Nicolás Maduro’s government and the Biden administration, which continues to pressure Caracas over human rights and electoral concerns while easing certain oil sanctions in recent months.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil condemned the strikes as “a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter,” accusing the U.S. of acting with “imperialist impunity.” He said Venezuela would pursue “all legal and diplomatic avenues to ensure accountability.”
If brought to a formal discussion, the Security Council is unlikely to reach consensus, with Russia and China expected to back Venezuela’s position and the U.S., U.K., and France likely to defend Washington’s right to act against perceived threats in international waters.
Analysts note that the confrontation could rekindle Cold War–style divisions at the UN and further polarize the hemisphere between pro-U.S. and anti-U.S. blocs.
As the world awaits Washington’s response, the dispute underscores a familiar geopolitical pattern: Venezuela positioning itself as a symbol of resistance to American power, and the U.S. insisting on its right to act preemptively in defense of maritime security.
