Building on initial global backlash to the US special forces raid that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3, 2026, the UN Security Council held an emergency session on January 6. Even US allies like France and Denmark questioned the operation's legality, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated it violates the UN Charter, underscoring tensions over Venezuelan sovereignty.
The US raid in Caracas, involving nearly 200 personnel and resulting in the deaths of Maduro's security detail, prompted the UN Security Council's emergency meeting. Guterres denounced the nighttime incursion as unauthorized use of force breaching the UN Charter.
French deputy ambassador Jay Dharmadhikari said it contravenes principles of peaceful dispute resolution and non-use of force, warning of damage to the international order. Danish deputy ambassador Sandra Jensen Landi voiced deep concern over the precedent, urging respect for international law.
The UK and Greece were more reserved: British interim ambassador James Kariuki called for peaceful transition, and Greek deputy ambassador Ioannis Stamatekos pushed for dialogue. Latin American voices like Panama and Colombia criticized the unilateral action; Colombian ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres called it grave aggression.
Russia and China were outspoken: Russian ambassador Vassili Nebenzia accused the US of banditry and imperialism, while Chinese chargé d'affaires Sun Lei condemned the unilateral intimidation. US ambassador Mike Waltz defended it as law enforcement against a narcotrafficking fugitive, not military intervention.
Chilean ambassador Paula Narváez reiterated condemnation, stressing that Venezuelan human rights issues must be addressed peacefully without exceptions to international law.
