World Less Secure Following U.S. Action in Venezuela, Says UN Human Rights Office

The global community must make clear that the United States' intervention in Venezuela is a violation of international law that makes the world less secure, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday.

U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a surprise operation over the weekend. He faces "four criminal charges" in the United States, including narco-terrorism, and Maduro's vice president has been sworn in as interim president.

"It is clear that the operation undermined a fundamental principle of international law, that states shall not 'threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,'" the Office stated.

"The international community must unite with one voice to insist on this," the Office's chief spokesman told the press.

"Far from being a victory for human rights, military intervention damages the architecture of international security and makes every country less safe," he asserted. "It sends a signal that the powerful can do as they wish."

The future of Venezuela must be determined solely by its people, he said, adding that instability and increased militarization would only worsen the human rights situation in the country.