The UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in Geneva that the fight against drug trafficking should not escape the principles of legality and that officials are responsible for complying with them.
His statements referred to the attack released this week by the United States against a vessel that allegedly belonged to the extinct criminal organization of Aragua and which crossed the Caribbean Sea.
“Regarding drug -related crimes, so that it is clear, people should not be killed to consume, traffic, sell or own drugs,” Shamdasani explained.
The UN spokeswoman added that “the intentional use of lethal force is only allowed as a last resort against a person who represents an imminent threat to life,” he stressed.
“If there are deaths in an operation to apply the law, they must be investigated independently, quickly and transparently,” he said.
In addition, Shamdasani indicated that any death in operations of this type requires independent, fast and transparent investigation.
The UN emphasized the need to respect human rights and the international legal framework in these operations.
