With Trump’s military action in Venezuela, the US has made every other country less safe | Volker Türk

The US military operation in Venezuela undermines a fundamental principle of international law, agreed after the horrors of two world wars and the Holocaust: states must not use force to pursue their territorial claims or political demands.

I am deeply disturbed by these events – and by some of the reactions I have seen. A narrative is emerging that seeks to justify the US military intervention as a response to the Nicolás Maduro government’s appalling human rights record.

My office has long condemned serious human rights violations by the Venezuelan authorities. We have reported, monitored and warned about the situation inside Venezuela – most recently, just before Christmas. We have consistently called for an end to unfair trials, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, the persecution of political opponents and sweeping restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly. We have urged independent investigations and accountability. For many years, my team in Venezuela advocated for the release of human rights defenders, monitored trials and engaged with civil society and the opposition, as well as state institutions.

Our detailed monitoring and reporting were intended to prompt action. When a state violates the human rights of its people, my office is among those who are charged with raising the alarm. It is up to the international community to use the lawful tools and mechanisms at its disposal, so that states respect their human rights obligations. These tools could include diplomatic leverage and investments in accountability. But these tools and mechanisms were not deployed effectively to influence the government of Venezuela.

Far from being a victory for human rights, this military intervention – in contravention of Venezuelan sovereignty and the UN charter – damages the architecture of international security, making every country less safe. It sends a signal that the powerful can do whatever they like, and weakens the only mechanism we have to prevent a third world war, namely the United Nations. No amount of deception and distraction can alter these facts.

Beyond the legal arguments, history teaches us that while attempts at regime change may initially be greeted by relief, they often lead to massive human rights violations, dangerous chaos and protracted violent conflict.

The human rights of Venezuelans are not a bargaining chip, or a point to be scored. I have visited Venezuela and spoken with its people, and I feel deeply for them at this moment. I feel for those waiting desperately for news about their loved ones; for families who have been separated; and for all those with empty places at their tables during this holiday season. Human rights need to be central to Venezuela’s future – not an afterthought, taking a back seat to negotiations around the exploitation of fossil fuels. The country’s future must be decided by its people.

More broadly, human rights cannot be treated like an ideological ping-pong ball. We cannot afford for our rights to be instrumentalised: invoked when they’re convenient, and vilified when they’re not. I fear for people in the region and around the world who are deeply alarmed by what this breach in international law means for their own safety and security. This is not about choosing between unilateral intervention that runs contrary to international law, or ignoring years of human rights violations. We need more fidelity to human rights law around the world, not less.

Venezuelan society needs healing. It needs justice to overcome polarisation and to repair its social and economic fabric. It does not need militarisation, violence or further uncertainty and instability.

Above all, Venezuela needs the international community to stop paying lip service to human rights, and to stand up for the UN charter and for international law. The alternative will have terrible consequences around the world.