Venezuela asks UN Security Council to declare US attacks illegal

(Patria) . Venezuela has asked the United Nations Security Council to determine that the deadly US attacks on vessels near its coast are illegal and to issue a statement supporting Venezuela's sovereignty, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump ordered a major build-up of US military forces in the Caribbean, and troops have carried out at least five attacks on vessels that the Trump administration described as involved in drug trafficking, without providing evidence.

In a letter to the fifteen-member Security Council, dated Wednesday, Venezuela's UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada accused Washington of killing at least 27 people in attacks on "civilian vessels transiting international waters".

He asked the Council to "investigate" the attacks to "determine their illegal nature" and issue a statement "affirming the principle of full respect for the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of states", including Venezuela.

US has veto power

However, the Security Council will not be able to take any action other than holding meetings on the situation because the United States has veto power. The Council met for the first time last week due to tensions at the request of Venezuela, Russia and China.

At that meeting, the United States justified its actions in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which requires the Security Council to be immediately informed of any action taken by states in self-defense against an armed attack.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said on Thursday that Trump would use intelligence, the Department of Defense, and diplomacy "to defend US sovereignty from actions that are actively killing Americans".

"Venezuela can bring whatever it wants to the UN. You know what else is part of the UN is Article 51 of the UN Charter which allows a country to defend itself. And that's what President Trump is doing and will continue to do," he told Fox News.