US: UN Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo on the attack in Venezuela “Deeply concerned about possible intensification, instability in country”
US: The current US military action in Venezuela and the consequent detention of Nicolas Maduro have deeply alarmed Rosemary A. DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
At a UN security council meeting, DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, discussed the situation after the US strike on January 3, saying, “We meet at a grave time following the 3 January United States military action in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela… The extent of casualties resulting from these actions remains undetermined.”
She pointed out that on Saturday, President Donald Trump declared the strike on social media, calling it a “large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro.””We are going to run the country until such time that we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” Trump said, according to DiCarlo.
According to DiCarlo, the Venezuelan government has described the US action as a “flagrant violation of the charter,” endangering regional and global peace and security, and as a military invasion impacting both military and civilian regions.
She emphasized that President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being detained in New York after being charged with major crimes by US authorities. DiCarlo spoke of the possibility of heightened unrest and emphasized the uncertainties surrounding Venezuela’s near future.The near future of Venezuela is less certain. I am really worried about the nation’s instability and potential escalation. DiCarlo said, “the possible effects on the region and the precedent it might set for how relations between and among states are conducted.”
Meanwhile, ousted Venezuelan ruler Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to all charges at their first court appearance in New York, accusing the US government of kidnapping them from their homeland, CNN reported.
According to CNN on Monday (local time), Maduro and Flores did not dispute their ongoing imprisonment and rejected the drug trafficking and weapons-related allegations brought against them. Their defense is likely to contest the legitimacy of their military capture, thus the appearance was both a historic occasion and the start of what is anticipated to be a protracted legal struggle.
Following Maduro’s detention by military force, US President Donald Trump said, “We’re in charge.”
Under temporary leadership, the Trump administration has indicated that it would keep a careful eye on events in Venezuela. CNN reports that Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s longtime vice president, took the oath of office as interim president on Monday.