Overview
- Mexico’s Milenio reports a pre-dawn Jan. 3 U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the detention of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
- No Venezuelan consent or UN Security Council authorization has been reported, conditions that experts say are required for any lawful use of force.
- The UN Charter prohibits threats or use of force except for self-defense after an armed attack or explicit Security Council approval, which legal analyses say are not present here.
- International law recognizes personal immunity for sitting heads of state under the ICJ’s Yerodia precedent, with narrow exceptions such as state consent or an international tribunal’s warrant.
- Regional and aviation rules under the OAS Charter and Chicago Convention reinforce territorial and airspace sovereignty, and experts warn an unlawful seizure could trigger ICJ litigation, UN censure, and diplomatic fallout.