Violations of International Law In Venezuela - The Times

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Sir, Under the UN charter, the use of military force against another sovereign state is prohibited except in two circumstances — self-defence (article 51) and/or authorisation by the UN security council (article 42) (“Maduro captured and charged in US after strikes”, Jan 3). Without this, the strikes violate the key principle of sovereign equality on which international law rests. This is before any discussion of capturing leaders and charging them in a foreign jurisdiction, implying regime change without UN authorisation or democratic legitimacy.
Kieran O’Meara
Dundee