The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) condemns the military
intervention by the United States on January 3, 2026 in Venezuela.
As the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said, “The US has justified its
intervention on the grounds of the Venezuelan government’s longstanding and appalling human
rights record, but accountability for human rights violations cannot be achieved by unilateral
military intervention in violation of international law.”
The US action was not only a violation of international law and the UN Charter, but also could
lead to similar unilateral military actions by nuclear-armed nations against other sovereign
nations and territories in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and
elsewhere. Together with Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, the US intervention in
Venezuela opens a dangerous new era of global insecurity and instability.
Legitimate concerns about electoral fraud, drug trafficking, violations of human rights, or
territorial disputes cannot justify current or future unlawful and destabilizing unilateral military
actions by any nation, particularly by members of the United Nations Security Council, which is
charged with maintaining international peace and security.
It is in the interest of all parties, including the United States, to work with and through the United
Nations to strengthen the rule of law and to build upon the foundations for peaceful solutions to
today’s regional and global disputes and crises.
IPPNW calls on the US to withdraw any remaining forces in Venezuela and to support a peaceful
Venezuelan-led transition to a democratically elected government that respects the sovereign
right of the Venezuelan people to determine their own future.
This statement is being shared with permission from The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). The original can be accessed via this webpage.
