United Nations experts have criticized the U.S. blockade as endangering human rights and called for an investigation into alleged violations.
Published December 24, 2025
Four United Nations human rights experts have condemned the U.S. partial naval blockade of Venezuela, calling it an illegal armed invasion and calling on the U.S. Congress to intervene.
“There is no right to impose unilateral sanctions through an armed blockade,” UN experts said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
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The United States has deployed large-scale military forces in the Caribbean Sea and seized an oil tanker as part of a naval blockade against Venezuelan vessels it considers under sanctions.
They added that a blockade is the use of military force against another country, which is prohibited by the United Nations Charter.
“This is a very serious use of force, and is explicitly recognized as an unlawful armed invasion in the 1974 United Nations General Assembly definition of aggression,” the experts said. “The unlawful use of force, and the threat of further use of force at sea and on land, seriously endangers the human right to life and other rights in Venezuela and the region.”
US President Donald Trump has accused Venezuela of using oil, South America’s main resource, to fund “narcoterrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping.”
Caracas denies involvement in drug trafficking. The US government is trying to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro in order to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves, the world’s largest, the paper said.
Since September, the U.S. military has launched dozens of airstrikes against ships that Washington says were transporting drugs. No evidence has yet been provided for these charges. More than 100 people were killed.
“The U.S. Congress should intervene.”
“These killings amount to a violation of the right to life. They must be investigated and those responsible held accountable,” the expert said.
“In the meantime, the U.S. Congress should intervene to prevent further attacks and lift the blockade,” they added.
They called on countries to end blockades and unlawful killings and take steps to bring perpetrators to justice.
The following four people signed the joint statement: Mr. Ben Sole, Special Rapporteur on protecting human rights while countering “terrorism.” George Katrugaros, expert on promoting a democratic and fair international order. Surya Deva, development expert. and Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
