Venezuela asks UN to declare US strikes illegal, cites civilian deaths
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President Miguel Díaz-Canel has criticized US military actions near Venezuela, calling them a threat to regional peace and sovereignty.
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Members of Venezuela's delegation attend the UNGA at the UN headquarters, on September 26, 2019 (AP)
Venezuela has called on the UN Security Council to formally declare recent US military strikes off its coast illegal and to affirm the country's sovereignty, according to a letter from Venezuela's UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada seen by Reuters.
The request follows a series of US strikes, authorized by President Donald Trump, on vessels in international waters near Venezuela. Washington claims the vessels were involved in drug trafficking, but has not publicly provided evidence. At least 27 people were reportedly killed in the operations.
In the letter, dated Wednesday, Moncada urged the 15-member Council to investigate the legality of the US actions and to issue a statement reaffirming “unrestricted respect for the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of states,” including Venezuela.
Despite the appeal, any formal Security Council action is unlikely, as the US holds veto power. The Council has already met once on the matter, following a joint request by Venezuela, Russia, and China.
At the prior session, the US claimed the strikes came under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which allows for self-defense in the face of an armed attack, which was never the case.
On Thursday, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz defended the operations, saying President Trump is acting to “defend U.S. sovereignty against actions that are actively killing Americans,” citing the Charter’s self-defense provision.
“Venezuela can bring whatever they want to the UN,” Waltz told Fox News. “But Article 51 is part of the UN too. That’s what President Trump is relying on, and that’s what he’ll continue to do.”
Cuba stands with Venezuela amid US covert operations: Díaz-Canel
As the US and its “reckless leader” authorize CIA covert actions against Venezuela, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel expresses solidarity with the Venezuelan people and President Nicolás Maduro.
En momentos en que el imperio y su desatinado cabecilla aprueban operaciones encubiertas de la CIA contra #Venezuela, expresamos nuestra solidaridad con ese pueblo hermano y, especialmente, con su Presidente Nicolás Maduro.
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) October 16, 2025
1/3 pic.twitter.com/Q7cQn0ne97
In a post on X, Cuba's president quoted Martí and Fidel Castro, reaffirming Cuba’s unwavering support and declaring confidence in Venezuela’s ability to overcome imperial threats through its unity of people, military, and police.
