Venezuela has requested an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to address recent U.S. military actions in the Caribbean, according to a letter from the government to Council President Vassily Nebenzia of Russia. The letter reportedly accuses the Trump administration of trying to unseat President Nicolás Maduro and warns of an “armed attack” against Venezuela in “a very short time.”
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Venezuela’s U.N. ambassador, Samuel Moncada, wrote that the U.S. wants to oust Maduro and seize the country’s natural resources.
“The ulterior motive remains the same as that which has characterized the United States of America’s actions toward Venezuela for more than 26 years,” Moncada wrote, “to advance its ‘regime change’ policies in order to seize control of the vast natural resources found in Venezuelan territory.”
Caracas ties its appeal to a series of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean that Washington says targeted drug-smuggling boats. The request follows a congressional vote that failed to curb President Donald Trump’s authority to use lethal force against alleged drug traffickers.
U.S. forces have conducted four deadly strikes at sea since expanding their presence, and Trump has declared an “armed conflict” with drug cartels; Venezuela argues the counter-narcotics rationale is a pretext for regime change.
The Trump administration has claimed that three of the four targeted boats set out from Venezuela.
Russia and Venezuela’s partnership
Russia, a longtime ally of Caracas, currently holds the Security Council presidency. According to Russian state media, the two countries recently ratified a long-term strategic partnership agreement.
“This year is really special and symbolic for Russia-Venezuela relations as it marks the 80th anniversaries of diplomatic relations between our countries, the Great Victory and the United Nations,” Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, Russia’s ambassador to Caracas, said about the partnership.
The new agreement outlines the main principles of long-term cooperation between Russia and Venezuela, such as advancing peace, security and sustainable development.
