US Army attacked Venezuela and took over its President. But was it justified under International Law?
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ฎ๐?
- At the heart of this debate lies the UN Charter (1945) drafted to prevent another world war.
- Article 2(4) of the Charter is clear :
1) States must not use military force against another country
2) They must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity
In simple words:
You cannot invade another country just because you dislike its government.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?
Several international law experts agree on one thing:
- It qualifies as a โcrime of aggressionโ
At the Nuremberg Trials, aggression was described as โthe supreme international crime.โ
- There was no UN Security Council authorisation.
- There was no imminent armed attack by Venezuela on the US
- Without either, the use of force becomes illegal.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ?
The US is likely to argue:
- Maduro allegedly leads a narco-terrorist network
- Trump has been accusing him for flooding the US with drugs and gang members.
But international law sets a high bar for self-defence:
- There must be a real and immediate threat
- The threat must endanger the sovereignty of the state
- No evidence suggests Venezuela was about to attack the US.
- Drug trafficking while serious, does not justify regime change by invasion.
๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐?
In theory:
The UN Security Council can impose sanctions
In reality:
- The US has veto power
- Any action against it can be blocked instantly
This exposes a harsh truth:
Powerful states can breach international law and still avoid consequences.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ?
This isnโt just about one country.
If such actions go unpunished:
- Other nations may feel emboldened to do the same, China could take a cue and attack Taiwan.
- The UN Security Councilโs authority weakens further
- The post-World War II legal order erodes
When rules apply only to some, they eventually apply to none.
It wouldnโt be surprising if this operation is soon cited as evidence of peace-building with Trump including this also in his claim for a Nobel Peace Prize.ย