(Reuters) -U.N. Security Council members on Friday expressed concern about escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, with Russia accusing Washington of using a shoot-first “cowboy” principle in attacking alleged drug boats.
Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told a meeting of the 15-member U.N. council that Venezuela had every reason to believe the United States was ready to move from threats to action against it.
Countries including U.S. allies France, Greece and Denmark called for de-escalation and dialogue to resolve tensions, and adherence to international law.
The United States has struck several vessels allegedly carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks. The U.S. representative to the U.N. meeting, John Kelly, said Washington “will not waver in our action to protect our nation from narco terrorists.”
The strikes – part of what the Trump administration has called a conflict with drug cartels – have alarmed Democratic lawmakers and raised questions as to their legality as Trump expands the scope of presidential power.
Nebenzia said Russia condemned the strikes as gross violations of international law and human rights, adding that “boats that people were on were simply fired upon in the high seas without a trial or investigation.” He said this was done “according to the cowboy principle of ‘shoot first’.”
“And now we’re being asked to retroactively believe that there were criminals on board,” he said.
Venezuela’s ambassador to the U.N., Samuel Moncada, told the U.N. meeting that based on the U.S. military build-up in the region and Washington’s “belligerent action and rhetoric” his country was “facing a situation in which it is rational to anticipate that in the very short term an armed attack is to be perpetrated against Venezuela.”
Panama’s U.N. ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba said that while his country recognized legitimate concerns about drug trafficking, piracy and other illicit activities in regional waters, “we emphasize that beyond military responses, it is possible to confront this scourge through coordinated and sustainable strategies.”
“Panama believes that the transnational threats facing our region demand joint responses based on respect for international law and supported by a shared commitment to peace and stability in our hemisphere,” he said.
Paris supported multilateral initiatives to curb trafficking and strengthen border controls, said France’s deputy U.N. envoy Jay Dharmadhikari, adding that this must be done with respect for international law, including human rights law, and “in this context, states must refrain from any unilateral armed action.”
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Sarah Kinosian and Jasper Ward; Editing by Don Durfee and Rosalba O’Brien)
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