The International Bar Association (IBA) has expressed serious concern over the recent military intervention in Venezuela, warning that the action raises significant questions under international law, regardless of any claims of justification.

In a statement, the IBA acknowledged the grave and well-documented allegations levelled against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and senior members of his government, including accusations of serious human rights violations, the erosion of democratic institutions, and conduct that has contributed to widespread humanitarian suffering.

The Association said these allegations are deeply troubling and warrant rigorous scrutiny and accountability through lawful means, including international judicial mechanisms or independent domestic legal processes operating in accordance with the rule of law.

However, the IBA stressed that the United Nations Charter—whose principles have been embedded in the Association’s constitution since 1947—forms the foundation of the international legal order. Those principles include the sovereign equality of states, the prohibition of interference in domestic affairs, and the ban on the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

According to the IBA, these obligations are binding on all UN member states and must be upheld even in situations involving serious misconduct by state leaders.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in custody aboard USS Iwo Jima

The Association cautioned that measures aimed at coercing political change in another country, when pursued outside internationally recognised legal frameworks, undermine international law and risk normalising actions the global legal system was designed to prevent.

“Even in the face of reprehensible conduct by state leaders, adherence to international law remains essential to preserving the integrity of the rules-based international order,” the IBA stated.

The Association concluded by encouraging a democratic transition in Venezuela that fully respects the rule of law and is pursued through lawful and internationally recognised processes.