Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific Khaled Khiari's
Remarks to the Security Council on Venezuela
New York, 23 December 2025
Thank you, Mr. President, Excellencies,
The United States’ military presence and operations in the Southern Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela, have increased since this Council last discussed the situation on 10 October, further heightening tensions between the two countries.
The United States described its military deployment as part of a, quote, “non-international armed conflict”, unquote, against drug cartels and drug trafficking, invoking Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. President Donald Trump has stated that he is going to use “the full power of the United States to take on and eradicate these drug cartels no matter where they’re operating from”.
The Venezuelan Government, including its Permanent Representative speaking before this Council, has described the measures by the United States as a serious threat to international peace and security. Most recently, in a letter dated 16 December and addressed to the President of the Security Council, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela asserted that the United States is violating the principle prohibiting the threat or use of force in international relations.
Mr. President,
US strikes on vessels alleged to be illegally carrying drugs in the Southern Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific have continued. According to United States authorities, 105 individuals have been killed in these strikes since 2 September. Officials have stated that the strikes have taken place in “international waters” or in the “SOUTHCOM area of responsibility”. The exact locations of these incidents have not been disclosed.
In a statement on 31 October, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that “the airstrikes by the United States of America on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific – allegedly linked to drug trafficking -- violate international human rights law”. The High Commissioner added that “countering illicit trafficking of drugs across international borders is – as has long been agreed among States – a law-enforcement matter, governed by the careful limits on lethal force set out in international human rights law”. He called for prompt, independent and transparent investigations.
Mr. President,
In late November, President Nicolás Maduro and President Trump held a telephone conversation.
On 24 November, the United States designation of the Cartel de los Soles [kaɾˈtel de los ˈsoles] as a foreign terrorist organisation entered into force under US law. Subsequently, the United States imposed additional measures against organizations and individuals it alleges are linked to these activities.
On 29 November, President Trump declared that the airspace above and around Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety.” This followed an alert issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration a few days earlier, warning major airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation when flying over Venezuela”. Since then, most international airlines have suspended or cancelled flights to and from the country. Venezuelan authorities have described this as an attempt to impose an “air blockade”.
The International Civil Aviation Organization issued a statement on 1 December recalling that, and I quote, “Article 1 of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation recognizes that every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory”, end of quote. The statement further noted, and I quote: “Any State can issue any information to its own operators regarding risks for flights over or in proximity of any geographic zone, including of another State”, end of quote.
On 10 December, tensions increased further when President Trump announced that the United States had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, stating that the Government of Venezuela was using oil to finance criminal activities. He also declared that, and I quote: “The Venezuelan regime has been designated a foreign terrorist organization” under United States laws and ordered “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela”, end of quote.
Subsequently, United States authorities imposed sanctions on six shipping companies operating in Venezuela’s oil sector and six vessels allegedly associated with these companies, which the US claims “have engaged in deceptive and unsafe shipping practices”.
Venezuelan authorities described these actions as a “unilateral naval blockade”. In identical letters dated 17 December and addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, the Permanent Representative of Venezuela stated that US actions violate Venezuela’s national sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence. The letter further asserted that “the naval blockade, imposed unilaterally”, constitutes “a violation of international law.”
In recent days, reports indicate that the Venezuelan navy has been escorting ships departing its ports with petroleum products.
On 20 December, the United States interdicted another tanker off the coast of Venezuela that was transporting oil from Venezuela. According to United States announcements, the vessel was suspected of carrying oil subject to sanctions under US laws.
On 21 December, the US Coast Guard pursued a third oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Reportedly, the ship did not submit to boarding during the attempted interdiction and continued sailing away from the Caribbean Sea.
US actions have received support from some regional allies, but other Member States within and beyond the region have voiced concern over the militarization of the Southern Caribbean and stressed the importance of respecting national sovereignty and international law. Several Member States have echoed calls for de-escalation and dialogue to address ongoing tensions.
Mr. President, Excellencies,
In September, citing external threats, President Maduro enacted a decree expanding the Government’s emergency powers. Public life has become further militarized, while Venezuelans continue to face serious human rights concerns and socioeconomic challenges.
The UN Human Rights Office reported coerced enlistment into the Bolivarian Militia, including adolescents and older persons.
The High Commissioner has also reported on sweeping restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances; as well as acute social and economic strain. He called for an immediate end of enforced disappearances, incommunicado detention, and unauthorized transfers of detainees to unknown locations.
The High Commissioner further reiterated the disproportionate impact of broad sectoral sanctions on Venezuela’s most vulnerable populations, noting that these measures also hinder the work of human rights and humanitarian organizations. He called for the sanctions to be reassessed and lifted.
Venezuela’s economy was already extremely fragile, with soaring inflation, currency instability, and widespread income erosion. Millions are unable to meet basic needs. Recent air and maritime restrictions, along with reduced exports, risk further constraining the Government’s fiscal ability to deliver basic public services.
As the humanitarian situation deteriorates, the United Nations and its partners continue to work and deliver assistance in support of the Venezuelan people, including through recent financial allocations of the United Nation’s Central Emergency Response Fund, and the Venezuela Humanitarian Fund.
Mr. President,
On 17 December, at his request, President Maduro held a telephone conversation with the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General reaffirmed the United Nations position on the need for Member States to respect international law, particularly the United Nations Charter, exercise restraint and de-escalate tensions to preserve regional stability.
The Secretary-General stands ready to support all efforts at diplomatic engagement, including the exercise of his good offices, if both parties so request it. He welcomes initiatives by Member States, offers for mediation, and proposals for peaceful solutions.
Dialogue is the only viable path toward lasting peace and preventing further instability and human suffering.
I thank you.
