UNITED NATIONS: Venezuela has formally requested the United Nations Security Council to determine that deadly United States strikes on vessels off its coast are illegal.
The South American nation also asked the council to issue a statement backing Venezuela’s sovereignty according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.
United States President Donald Trump has ordered a significant United States military buildup in the southern Caribbean region.
United States troops have conducted at least five strikes on vessels which the Trump administration described as involved in drug trafficking operations.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stated that while the CIA has long been linked to coups globally no previous government had publicly stated it ordered the CIA to kill overthrow and destroy countries.
Maduro accused the Central Intelligence Agency of being authorized to conduct operations aimed against the peace of Venezuela.
Our people are clear united and aware according to the president during an event broadcast on state television.
In a letter to the 15 member Security Council Venezuela’s United Nations Ambassador Samuel Moncada accused Washington of killing at least 27 people in strikes on civilian vessels transiting international waters.
He formally asked the council to investigate the strikes to determine their illegal nature.
The ambassador also requested a statement reaffirming the principle of unrestricted respect for the sovereignty political independence and territorial integrity of states including Venezuela.
However the Security Council will be unable to take any action beyond holding meetings on the situation because the United States holds veto power.
The council met for the first time last week over the tensions at the request of Venezuela Russia and China.
At that meeting the United States justified its actions as consistent with Article 51 of the founding United Nations Charter.
Article 51 requires the Security Council to be immediately informed of any action states take in self defence against armed attack.
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Thursday that Trump would use the intelligence community the defence department and diplomacy to defend United States sovereignty against actions that are actively killing Americans.
Venezuela can bring whatever they want to the United Nations he told Fox News.
You know what is also part of the United Nations is Article 51 of the United Nations Charter that enables a country to defend itself he added.
That is what President Trump is doing and is going to do according to the United States ambassador. – Reuters
