‘Rule of law under threat’ – OAS chief tells states after U.S. attacks on Venezuela, seizure of Maduro  

Jan 07, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin on Tuesday issued a strong call for coordinated hemispheric action, warning that democracy, international law and regional stability are at risk following recent United States military actions against Venezuela and the seizure of its President, Nicolás Maduro.

Ramdin was at the time addressing a special meeting of the Permanent Council of the OAS convened to consider the implications of the U.S. intervention in Venezuela. He stressed that while open debate among member states is essential, the OAS must move beyond statements and take principled, collective action in keeping with its founding charter. “We must be more than a forum for statements,” Ramdin said. “Exchanging information and viewpoints is essential, but it is not sufficient to improve the lives of the people of the Americas. Our words must lead to coordinated, principled and sustained action.”

According to the OAS Secretary General, the inter-American legal framework and the OAS Charter are not optional instruments but binding obligations and moral responsibilities for member states. “The Charter is not a suggestion,” Ramdin declared, reminding delegates that the organisation was established in 1948 precisely to uphold democracy, sovereignty, human rights and peaceful coexistence in the hemisphere. He noted that the events unfolding in Venezuela strike at the core of these principles and require a collective hemispheric response aimed at restoring accepted norms of international conduct. “If democracy, fundamental principles of international law and the inter-American legal framework are at stake, as is now the case in Venezuela, then the hemisphere must act collectively,” Ramdin said.

He called for constructive engagement among OAS member states and urged unity, while acknowledging that differing ideological views exist across the region. “Unity does not mean uniformity,” he explained. “The strength of the inter-American system lies in the capacity of member states to engage constructively despite ideological differences.” Ramdin also underscored the importance of respecting Venezuela’s sovereignty and the right of its people to determine their own leadership through representative democracy. He said the organisation has both a moral and strategic obligation to support the Venezuelan people during the current crisis. “Morally, we owe the Venezuelan people our solidarity,” he said. “Strategically, a stable, democratic and prosperous Venezuela is in the interest of every member state.”

He further warned against actions that could deepen divisions or heighten tensions, stressing that the Americas have long aspired to remain a zone of peace. “Maintaining the hemisphere as a zone of peace is a shared achievement and a shared responsibility,” Ramdin said, adding that cooperation, prudence and sustained dialogue are now critical. The OAS Secretary General welcomed expressions from several member states indicating their willingness to cooperate in good faith during what he described as a “sensitive period” for the region. He urged countries to continue using the OAS as a platform for dialogue, convergence and de-escalation. As the meeting concluded, Ramdin said the challenge ahead lies in reaffirming commitment to a rule-based international order. “We must find a way to get back to that rule-based system,” he said, cautioning that multilateral institutions such as the OAS are not optional in today’s increasingly complex world, but indispensable to preserving peace, democracy and stability in the hemisphere.

Meanwhile, Colombia reiterated its condemnation of the unilateral aggression perpetrated by the United States against Venezuela and also rejected the threats from the northern country against the Colombian nation during the meeting. According to Vice Foreign Minister Mauricio Jaramillo, Washington’s unilateral military actions constitute a clear violation of international law, as he asserted that democracy does not arise from coercion or external intervention.

Furthermore, he stated that his country reaffirms that Latin America must be preserved as a Zone of Peace, committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes, as well as to strengthening multilateralism and maintaining respect for the principles and purposes of the United Nations. “Colombia categorically, firmly, and unequivocally rejects the threats of the use of force or any act of aggression against our territory, as well as the defamatory and baseless statements against our Head of State, Gustavo Petro,” he declared.

“Our idea is that de facto solutions should not continue to be imposed. There is a disastrous history of interference in other parts of the world, for example, what happened in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya,” he stated. Jaramillo, who insisted that the government’s call is for countries to refrain from using force, noted that if the threats of armed aggression against Colombia were to materialize, in accordance with international law every nation has the right to self-defense, “and our Army is commanded by the President of the Republic and its mission is to defend the sovereignty of the country.”

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• Albert Ramdin, Maduro, Organisation of American States, rule of law, Venezuela

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