Condemns the violation of the sovereignty of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

The CLACSO Centers of Colombia condemn the violation of the sovereignty of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the execution of a crime of aggression and the disregard for the right of peoples to free self-determination.

In the early hours of January 3, the United States government bombed various areas of Venezuela and kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Regardless of the debates surrounding the legitimacy of the Venezuelan regime, the United States once again violated international law and the Charter of the United Nations, specifically Article 2, which states that “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations,” which, as established in Article 1, are “to maintain international peace and security [and] to promote […] the self-determination of peoples.”

These terrible events, as President Trump clearly stated, are in response to the desire to seize oil reserves and impose a government at the service of large American corporations.

We reject the threats against Colombia, our government, and our president, Gustavo Petro, whom they falsely and recklessly link to drug trafficking organizations, ignoring his courageous and long-standing fight against them and their ties to politics and the state. These threats also disregard our sovereignty and Colombia's commitment to combating international cocaine trafficking.

The US government is today a threat to democracy and peace throughout Our America, seeking to impose its dominance under the updated “Monroe Doctrine” or “Donroe Doctrine” as Donald Trump himself has called it.

We call upon governments, multilateral organizations, in particular the UN, CELAC and the OAS, and all democratic sectors of the planet, to defend peace and democracy in our region, to reject the claims of the United States government to reduce us to the condition of colonies and to restore respect for international law.

CLACSO Centers of Colombia

This text expresses the position of the signatories and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.