On the Currently Unfolding Situation in Venezuela and Our Concern for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

At the outset of recent developments, GI-ESCR expresses its strong concern for the situation in Venezuela. We offer our heartfelt solidarity and support for the Venezuelan people, acknowledging their present and historic lived realities as the cornerstone for any human rights assessment. 

GI-ESCR unequivocally rejects the unilateral operation carried out by the United States administration on 2 January 2026. As underscored by human rights organisations in Latin America, these actions are incompatible with core principles of international law and pose a serious threat to peace and security in the region. Under international law, the use or threat of force violates the prohibition contained in Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, as well as key provisions of the Charter of the Organisation of American States (OAS), including Articles 3 and 19–22. This represents yet another serious erosion of the international legal order, setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching consequences for global peace and human rights protection. 

The enjoyment of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) in Venezuela has deteriorated significantly over the past several years as a result of a combination of domestic policy decisions and the impact of unilateral coercive measures imposed by foreign entities. Viewed together, unlawful external intervention and sustained internal repression have jointly contributed to deepening economic deterioration, the collapse of public services, and a severe humanitarian crisis that has forced millions of Venezuelans into exile in search of safety, dignity and better lives. We also acknowledge the serious, sustained and well-documented human rights violations committed in the country, severely restricting civic space (see report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights). 

It is extremely concerning that the country’s vast oil reserves appear to play a central role in the rationale behind external unilateral actions. This points to a broader pattern in which geopolitical intervention is driven by the pursuit of control over natural resources framed through the language of investor protection and profit maximization, disregarding international legal imperatives. Efforts to reverse the public control of Venezuela’s oil sector and re-open it to foreign private interests risk further subordinating long-overdue human rights enjoyment to the interests of transnational energy corporations. Such dynamics may contribute to deepening pre-existing socioeconomic inequality, concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few, and undermine the right of peoples to freely dispose of their natural resources, as enshrined in UN General Assembly Resolution 1803 (XVII).  

The uncertainty arising from the current scenario carries consequences that extend far beyond Venezuela itself. It threatens regional and global stability and further undermines the conditions necessary for the realisation of the rights to development, democracy, life, and dignity for the Venezuelan people, while potentially widening inequalities within and between countries. 

Any international response must prioritise de-escalation, strict adherence to international law, accountability for human rights violations and the removal of measures that indiscriminately exacerbate the suffering of the civilian population.