Jeffrey Sachs Accuses US of Violating UN Charter in Venezuela

US Actions and the UN Charter

• 🎯 The core issue before the UN Security Council is whether any member state can dictate Venezuela's political future through force, coercion, or economic strangulation.
• ⚖️ This directly challenges Article 2, Section 4 of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against any state's territorial integrity or political independence.
• 📜 The council must decide whether this prohibition is to be upheld or abandoned, with grave consequences if abandoned.

Historical Precedent of US Intervention

• 📚 Since 1947, US foreign policy has repeatedly used force, covert action, and political manipulation for regime change, with documented historical records.
• 📈 Examples of major US regime change operations without Security Council authorization since 1989 include Iraq (2003), Libya (2011), Syria (2011), Honduras (2009), Ukraine (2014), and Venezuela (from 2002).
• ⚠️ Methods employed are diverse, including warfare, covert operations, unrest instigation, media manipulation, bribery, assassinations, false flags, and economic warfare, often leading to violence and suffering.

Venezuela-Specific US Actions

• ⚡ The US has a clear recent record with Venezuela, including approving a 2002 coup attempt and funding anti-government protests.
• 🚫 Sanctions were imposed, leading to a significant drop in oil production and GDP per capita.
• 💰 In 2019, the US recognized Juan Guaidó and froze Venezuelan sovereign assets, actions part of a continuous US regime change effort spanning over two decades.
• 🌍 The US has conducted bombing operations in seven countries without UN authorization in the past year, including Venezuela.

The Council's Mandate and Recommendations

• 🚨 Members are called upon not to judge Nicolás Maduro, but to defend international law and the UN Charter.
• 🕊️ Failure to uphold international law, as seen with the League of Nations, led to global war; the UN is humanity's second effort to place law above anarchy.
• ⚠️ The Security Council should immediately demand the US cease threats and use of force against Venezuela, terminate its naval quarantine, and withdraw military forces.
• 🤝 Recommendations include appointing a special envoy to report on recommendations consistent with the charter within 14 days.
• 🌍 All member states must refrain from unilateral threats or coercive actions outside UN Security Council authority.
• ⏳ The choice before the council is whether the UN Charter remains a living instrument or withers into irrelevance, impacting peace and humanity's survival.