In the wake of the United States’ large-scale military strikes in Caracas on Saturday, the United Nations (UN) Security Council will convene an emergency session to address the “threat to international peace and security” following a formal request from Venezuela backed by China and Russia.
US operations have rattled Europe and accelerated international scrutiny, prompting an emergency UN gathering amid growing concern over compliance with international law.
The Security Council will now hold an open briefing on Monday under the agenda item, “Threats to international peace and security”, according to a statement released by the Security Council Report.
Maduro ousted by US forces
On Saturday, just after the New Year holidays, the US launched a large-scale military operation in Caracas that culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
US officials said the operation began in the early hours with co-ordinated airstrikes aimed at disabling Venezuela’s air defence systems.
More than 150 US aircraft were reportedly deployed, clearing the way for Special Operations forces to enter the capital and conduct a raid on Maduro’s compound.
Maduro and Flores were seized during the operation and flown out of the country before being transported to New York City, where US authorities charged them with multiple offences, including “narco-terrorism”, “conspiracy to import cocaine” and illegal possession of various weapons.
Washington said no American troops were killed during the mission.
Venezuelan officials, however, reported that at least “80 people were killed in the strikes, including civilians and members of the security forces”.
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VP appointed as interim president
Venezuela’s government immediately condemned the operation, along with its allies China, Russia and Iran.
Colombia and Spain also aired strong criticisms, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling the attack a violation of international law.
However, given that Maduro is set to face charges in a New York court, the country’s Supreme Court moved swiftly to appoint Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president for 90 days.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, defended the operation, stating that the US would now “run” and be “in charge” of Venezuela during a transitional period and warning that more attacks would come if necessary.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio nevertheless said that they were willing to try to work with Rodríguez.
“We’re going to make an assessment on the basis of what they do, not what they say publicly in the interim, not what they’ve done in the past in many cases, but what they do moving forward,” he said, as reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Rodríguez, on the other hand, has expressed willingness to co-operate with the US, saying: “We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on an agenda for cooperation.”
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Washington eyes Venezuela’s oil reserves
Hours after threatening Rodríguez if she did not co-operate with US demands, Trump also demanded complete access to Venezuela and its oil reserves, AFP added.
“We need total access. We need access to the oil and other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country,” Trump explained.
The president moreover announced that he would allow US companies to begin work on Venezuela’s massive crude oil reserves.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” he said.
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Shameeka Voyiya 
Carmela Calling