The Washington Office on Latin American Affairs (WOLA) recalled that the attacks carried out by Donald Trump’s administration have not been authorized by the US Congress and emphasized the attacks in the Caribbean “can be characterized as extrajudicial executions.”
The Washington Office on Latin American Affairs (WOLA) warned that the recent military action by the United States in the Caribbean and the Pacific is taking place outside the international legal framework and could constitute extrajudicial executions.
Brian Finucane, senior advisor to the International Crisis Group, explained that “the lethal attacks in the Caribbean and the Pacific have been characterized by violations of international law and the right to life under the international human rights framework.”
He added that the situation between the US and Venezuela “is not about a non-international armed conflict”, but about “premeditated” attacks that he considered that in the legal field “can be characterized as extrajudicial executions.”
WOLA also emphasized that the attacks carried out by the Donald Trump administration have not been authorized by the US Congress.
The document warns that the United States government has invoked Article II of its Constitution to act without legislative approval, also violating the 60-day limit established by the War Powers Resolution of 1973. According to WOLA, these actions “degrade the rule of law and the separation of powers,” and open the possibility of force being used against dissidents and Latin American immigrants.
Venezuela in the spotlight
During the forum, the director of WOLA’s Venezuela Program, Laura Dib, explained that the United States began to link Nicolás Maduro and other officials with criminal organizations such as the Tren de Aragua and the Cartel of the Suns, using the label of “narcoterrorism” to justify not only actions in the Caribbean, but also deportations.
However, the Washington Office for Latin American Affairs He insisted that there is no evidence that fentanyl is produced in Venezuela.
Experts warned that such actions could strengthen Maduro, by presenting himself as a victim of foreign aggression, and increase internal repression. Dib also said according to a survey of Bloomberg, 74% of Venezuelans believe that the country would be better off without Maduro and there is no public evidence that he won the July 28 elections.
WOLA urged that US foreign policy towards Venezuela and Latin America be evidence-based, with a long-term approach that prioritizes human rights and democracy, rather than strategies of force or economic interests.
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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