UN Security Council to meet over situation in Venezuela

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the situation in Venezuela on Tuesday, the Security Council presidency confirmed Thursday.

AI Brief

Slovenia confirms UN Security Council will meet Tuesday after Venezuela requests action over US military buildup and oil tanker blockade.
US steps up pressure on Maduro with naval strikes and threats of land operations, citing anti-drug efforts.
Russia warns Washington against further escalation, urging respect for sovereignty and regional peace.

"In response to your questions, I can confirm that the Presidency intends to convene a meeting on Venezuela on Tuesday at 15:00," said Laura Miklic, spokeswoman for the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations.

Slovenia holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of December.

The emergency meeting was reportedly requested by Venezuela.

On Wednesday, Venezuela requested the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the ongoing U.S. aggression in order to take necessary measures to restore international law.

For almost four months, the United States has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, much of which off Venezuela's coast, purportedly to combat drug trafficking -- a claim Venezuela has denounced as a thinly veiled attempt to bring about regime change in Caracas.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had ordered a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela, stepping up a months-long pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Amid continuous boat strikes, Trump also repeatedly said in recent weeks that the U.S. military would begin land strikes targeting drug traffickers in the Caribbean country "very soon".

In another development, Russia on Thursday urged the U.S. administration not to make a "fatal mistake" on Venezuela, warning of unpredictable consequences for the Western Hemisphere.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on Washington to "refrain from further escalating the situation, which could lead to unpredictable consequences for the entire Western Hemisphere."

The ministry reiterated Russia's support for the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, emphasizing the need to protect national interests and sovereignty and to ensure that Latin America remains a zone of peace.