"This is not technically an arrest, but an abduction": Former diplomat Dilip Sinha on US action in Venezuela

New Delhi [India], January 5 : Former Indian permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Dilip Sinha, on Monday criticised the US action in Venezuela, terming it a violation of international law and questioning Washington's legal authority to carry out such an operation.
Speaking to ANI, Sinha said, "This is not technically an arrest, but an abduction. The US doesn't have jurisdiction in Venezuela. This is an abduction where a head of state has been kidnapped and taken to the US. It is a violation of international law."
Expanding on his criticism, Sinha questioned the underlying motive behind the action, linking it to Venezuela's natural resources. "The reason he has settled on is taking claim to the oil reserves of Venezuela," Sinha said.
Placing the issue in a broader regional context, Sinha pointed out that while narcotics trafficking is a serious concern across Latin America, Venezuela is not frequently cited in such cases. "Because, while there is a lot of narco-terrorism from Latin America, in which the US is also implicated, there are not many reports from Venezuela. There are other countries in Latin America which have been involved in this and have been accused of cocaine smuggling," he said.
Referring to earlier diplomatic overtures, Sinha said that Caracas had signalled willingness to engage with Washington. "President Maduro had offered to cooperate with the US and have talks to address its problems," he said.
Against this backdrop, Sinha described the US decision as difficult to understand. "So it's very strange that President Trump should have gone ahead and abducted him," he added.
The remarks come after US forces carried out a pre-dawn operation inside Venezuela, detaining deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores, and transferring them to a US naval vessel before flying them to New York, the Trump administration has stated.
According to US authorities, deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro is expected to face multiple charges, including narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons-related offences.
The operation followed months of intensified US military activity in the region. Since September, Washington has launched dozens of strikes against vessels it claims were involved in drug trafficking linked to Venezuela. These operations reportedly resulted in more than 115 deaths, prompting legal experts to raise concerns over potential violations of international law.
US legal action against deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro dates back to President Donald Trump's first term. A superseding indictment unsealed on Saturday added fresh allegations of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that Maduro and others "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts".
However, President Trump's own remarks introduced a broader political dimension to the operation. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, he went beyond a law enforcement justification, stating that the United States would "run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," while also referring to reclaiming American oil interests in Venezuela.
As deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro awaits arraignment in a federal court in New York, the legal proceedings ahead are expected to draw as much attention as the military operation that led to his capture.