UN Chief Warns of Wider Instability After US Capture of Venezuela’s President Maduro

Melbourne, January 6- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro could trigger serious instability in Venezuela and across the wider region, as tensions escalated at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

The warning was delivered during a high-level session in New York, held just blocks away from where Mr Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were appearing before a Manhattan judge following the US operation.

In a statement read by UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo, Mr Guterres said he was deeply concerned about the potential consequences of the action.

“I am deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in the country, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted,” he said.
He urged all Venezuelan parties to engage in inclusive and democratic dialogue and said the United Nations stood ready to support efforts toward a peaceful resolution.

Sharp international divisions

The emergency meeting was requested by Colombia, with the backing of Russia and China. Representatives of all three countries condemned the US operation, describing it as a dangerous escalation that could undermine international law and regional stability.

Venezuela’s UN ambassador Samuel Moncada called the capture of Mr Maduro “an illegitimate armed attack lacking any legal justification” and a “flagrant violation of the UN Charter”. He accused Washington of acting out of economic interests, particularly Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

Russia’s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya demanded that the United States immediately release Mr Maduro and his wife.
“Any problems or conflicts between the United States and Venezuela must be resolved through dialogue,” he said.

China’s deputy UN envoy Sun Lei said Beijing was “deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the unilateral, illegal and bullying acts of the US”.

US defends the operation

US ambassador Mike Waltz rejected claims of aggression, saying Washington had no intention of occupying Venezuela.

“There is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country,” he said, describing the operation as a “surgical law enforcement action” against “two indicted fugitives of American justice”.

Mr Waltz argued that the arrest was justified by longstanding US indictments against Mr Maduro, whom he described as a narco-trafficker, and pointed to a previous UN report that questioned the legitimacy of Mr Maduro’s 2024 election victory.

“This was a law enforcement operation in furtherance of lawful indictments that have existed for decades,” he said.

Growing geopolitical tension

As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United States, along with Russia, China, Britain and France, holds veto power, making any binding UN action highly unlikely.

The crisis has added another layer of strain to an already tense global political environment, with many countries warning that the incident could weaken international norms and fuel further conflict in Latin America.