Great powers ‘erased international law’ – Fico

The Slovak prime minister has slammed the US for attacking Venezuela, branding the raid “the latest American oil adventure”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has condemned America’s attack on Venezuela, accusing Washington of acting with impunity and “erasing” international law in pursuit of resources.

US forces raided Caracas on Saturday, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the oil-rich country’s capital. Both were later indicted in the US on drug-trafficking charges and pleaded not guilty in a New York court on Monday. Venezuela has denounced the raid as an “imperialist attack” aimed at plundering the South American country’s resources.

“I must unequivocally condemn and reject this latest American oil adventure… even at the cost that my clear and consistent stance may temporarily worsen Slovak-American relations,” Fico said in a statement on Monday, accusing Washington of flouting the law. “Great powers today literally do whatever they want. They have completely erased the existence of international law and the necessity of complying with it.”

Fico described Maduro’s seizure as “kidnapping,” noting that even the UN Security Council (UNSC) appeared powerless to respond.

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“The UN is on its knees. Without reform and a real strengthening of its powers, the UNSC is completely toothless,” he said. “We can only watch in disbelief as American elite units kidnap the president of a sovereign country and the US announces it will rule over 30 million Venezuelans.”

The US drew widespread condemnation at an emergency UNSC meeting on Monday, with many countries warning that the move sets a dangerous precedent. Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Eritrea, Russia, South Africa, and Spain were among the critics. Objections also came from US allies Mexico and Denmark, both of which were recently threatened by the US president – Mexico for alleged drug trafficking and Denmark for its refusal to part with Greenland, a self-governing territory whose resources and strategic Arctic position Trump covets.

Despite mounting criticism and questions concerning the legality of the operation – which was carried out without UNSC authorization – the Security Council failed to produce a unified response. Analysts say this is due to Washington’s status as a permanent UNSC member with veto power, which allows it to block any resolution critical of the US, even amid broad opposition. US Ambassador Mike Waltz defended the operation as a lawful “law enforcement” action against an “illegitimate” leader, citing the UN Charter’s self-defense clause under Article 51.

READ MORE: Colombian president vows to ‘take up arms’ if US attacks

Trump insists that the US is now “in charge” of Venezuela, invoking the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which designates Latin America as Washington’s sphere of influence. He also threatened Colombia and Cuba with possible military action Following Saturday’s raid.