“Multilateralism” will therefore have disappeared by the start of this new year. This all-purpose word in all Ministry of State or Foreign Affairs press releases has been diplomatically forgotten in the government’s statement this Sunday morning on the subject of the exfiltration decided unilaterally by US President Donald Trump of the Venezuelan president and his wife, in the middle of the night from Friday to Saturday, in a large-scale military operation.
“International law, including the principle of the non-use of force, and the United Nations Charter must remain the rule,” it reads, as if there were an unwritten “but” that justifies the exception.
As a reminder–and this is not in the press release–the United Nations Charter, invoked by the Luxembourg government, prohibits any foreign military intervention on the territory of a sovereign state. Article 2(4) prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of a State, while Article 2(7) enshrines the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. The Charter provides for only two exceptions to this prohibition: explicit authorisation by the United Nations Security Council, under Articles 39 to 42, or the exercise of the right of self-defence in the event of armed aggression, in accordance with Article 51. Outside these strict frameworks, the capture of leaders, unilateral armed operations or any coercive action carried out without a multilateral mandate are not permitted by the Charter.
“Together with the European Union, Luxembourg has not recognised the democratic legitimacy of President Maduro and has condemned the massive human rights abuses perpetrated by the Maduro regime, and in particular the repression against the democratic opposition,” says the Ministry of State, which officially signs the statement. “The European Union’s long-standing objective is to support a negotiated and democratic solution to the crisis that is Venezuelan-led and restores political stability, economic growth and social well-being to the millions of Venezuelans facing critical needs.”
“Luxembourg calls for calm and restraint, to ensure a peaceful end to the crisis and to prevent this crisis from creating further suffering for the Venezuelan people. The European Union can play a role in this way out of the crisis, alongside regional and international partners, including the United States, to facilitate a dialogue with all parties and contribute to a negotiated solution and a democratic transition, led by the Venezuelans, in accordance with the principle of self-determination of peoples”, says the press release.
Late on Saturday, for the Europeans, US President Donald Trump indicated that the United States would manage the situation on the ground until it could pass the torch for a clean and appropriate transition, ruling out any idea of involving anyone other than the Americans and Venezuelans in this transition against a backdrop of interference. The US President had not yet spoken when the US Attorney General, Pamela Bondi, had already indicated on X that “Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolás Maduro is charged with conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States. They will soon face the full rigour of American justice, on American soil, in American courts.”
As a reminder, it is written in conclusion, “the European Union has had a sanctions regime in place since 2017 that currently targets 69 individuals responsible for undermining democracy, the rule of law or human rights in Venezuela. The sanctions were renewed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 15 December.”
On Saturday, in another statement, Déi Lenk had described this intervention as “an act of war that constitutes a further flagrant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. A few days earlier, the United States had boarded and seized several tankers carrying Venezuelan cargoes on the high seas. For weeks now, missiles and drones have been destroying civilian vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific, resulting in more than 100 deaths. This attack by the US government is illegal under international law and reveals, in its entirety, a strategy of imperialist policy aimed at bringing the most precious resources, wealth, markets and trade routes under the control of the US empire. Today Venezuela, tomorrow perhaps Cuba, Panama, Greenland… even Canada has already been mentioned by Trump. The world cannot stand idly by in the face of this.”
While the US authorities said they had suffered no casualties in this long-prepared military operation, it is not known how many casualties were suffered in Venezuela. New images released on Sunday show Maduro and his wife, while the Venezuelan government asked for proof of life.