3 ways US actions in Venezuela violated international law |
Heads of state, policymakers and international law scholars are among those who have labeled U.S. military actions against Venezuela and the Jan. 3, 2026, capture of its leader as unlawful. But what exactly does that mean?
The Conversation asked Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor of international law at the University of Notre Dame, to explain what about recent actions by the U.S. violate international law and why that matters.
How would you describe U.S. actions in Venezuela in regards to international law?
I consider what happened on Jan. 3 as part of a series of unlawful actions by the U.S. toward Venezuela that began on Sept. 2, 2025, when the U.S. first attacked and blew up a small boat in the Caribbean alleged to be carrying illicit drugs to the U.S. Despite the worldwide outcry that those boat attacks were unlawful, the administration persisted.
The most egregious operation was the Jan 3. attacks on sites in Caracas, Venezuela, a densely populated city. They were intended as cover for special operations forces to go into the home of the president and forcefully detain him and his wife, Cilia Flores, and then bring them to the United States, where they’re now in custody and facing........