UN human rights office says US intervention in Venezuela undermines fundamental principles of intl law

GENEVA -- The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights is deeply worried about the situation in Venezuela following the US military operation in the country, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a regular press briefing in Geneva, spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said the High Commissioner believes the US action undermines a fundamental principle of international law -- that a state must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state.

She also said, in response to questions from reporters, that the US action breached the UN Charter and damaged the international security architecture, making every country less safe.

She said it was essential for the international community to maintain clarity, stressing that the US action should not be portrayed as a measure taken to defend human rights, but rather as an action carried out in clear violation of international law.

The US action in Venezuela sends a signal that "the powerful can do whatever they like, she added. It weakens the mechanism that we have to prevent further conflict, to prevent even a Third World War, namely the UN," she stressed.

"This is why we're calling on all states to speak with one voice in defense of the UN Charter and in defense of international law," she said.