UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the U.S. special forces in the early hours of Saturday is “a dangerous precedent.”

In a statement on Saturday by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, Mr Guterres said he is “deeply alarmed” over the standoff between the United States and Venezuela in recent months, which culminated in Saturday’s reported capture of Mr Maduro.

“The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region.

“Independently of the situation in Venezuela, these developments constitute a dangerous precedent,” the statement said.

Mr Guterres called on all parties involved to engage in “inclusive dialogue” in accordance with human rights and international law.

“The Secretary-General continues to emphasise the importance of full respect by all of international law, including the UN Charter.

“He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected,” he stated.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the military action on his Truth social media, stating that Mr Maduro and his wife had been captured by the U.S. forces months after declaring him wanted for cocaine trafficking into the United States.

Similarly, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife would face “the full wrath of American justice on American soil, in American courts.”

Mr Maduro was indicted in 2020 in New York during Mr Trump’s first administration.

The U.S. operation on Saturday began with overnight strikes in and around the capital, Caracas.

Venezuela has declared a state of national emergency, with casualty figures and the extent of the damage yet to be confirmed.

The Venezuelan government denounced the act of “extremely serious military aggression” by the U.S., which followed months of increasing tension.

This included a major military buildup off the Venezuelan coast and a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats.

The U.S. has ordered the seizure of sanctioned oil tankers in recent weeks amid threats that it would launch land operations to force Mr Maduro out of office.

Venezuela has formally asked the Security Council to meet in emergency session in New York.

(NAN)