New York [US], January 4: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to convene an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the recent US military operation that resulted in the capture of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
According to the Council presidency, the meeting will take place at 10 a.m. local time under the agenda titled “Threats to international peace and security.”
“The presidency intends to hold the emergency meeting on Monday morning at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT),” said Khadija Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Somali Permanent Mission to the UN, as quoted by Xinhua. Somalia is currently serving as the rotating president of the 15-member Security Council, which includes five permanent and ten non-permanent members, for the month of January.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro was the first to call for an emergency UN session following the US strikes on Venezuela. During the operation, Washington captured Maduro and his wife on Saturday and removed them from the country.
“As members of the United Nations Security Council, we seek to convene the Council. The Government of Colombia rejects the aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America. Internal conflicts between people are resolved by those same people in peace. That is the principle of the self-determination of peoples, which forms the foundation of the United Nations system,” Petro said in a post on X.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump stated that Washington had carried out a “large-scale strike against Venezuela,” capturing Maduro and his wife. Trump also posted a photograph on Truth Social showing Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima after his capture. Video footage later released by the White House-affiliated Rapid Response showed Maduro in handcuffs during a staged perp walk, where he was seen wishing law enforcement officials “Happy New Year” and “Good Night” as he was led into custody.
Following the operation, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep alarm over the situation, warning that the developments could have significant implications for the wider region. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres said that, regardless of the situation in Venezuela, such actions set a dangerous precedent and underscored the need for full respect for international law, including adherence to the UN Charter.
Meanwhile, in Caracas, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the powers and duties of acting president. The order, announced late Saturday night local time, stated that Maduro is in a “material and temporary impossibility to exercise his functions.” (ANI)
About The Author
