Venezuela Takes US Maritime Piracy Case to UN, Demands Release of Crew
Caracas submits formal complaint to the Security Council, citing violations of international maritime law and the UN Charter
Venezuela, PUREWILAYAH.COM — Venezuela has formally taken what it described as a case of United States maritime piracy to the United Nations Security Council, demanding the return of a seized oil cargo and the immediate release of the detained crew.
In a letter addressed to the President of the Security Council, Slovenian Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, Venezuela’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Samuel Moncada, denounced the boarding, seizure, and appropriation of a Venezuelan oil shipment in international waters by US forces. The act was described as “maritime piracy exercised directly by a State.”
Incident Described as Part of Sustained US Coercion
In the communication, Moncada stated that the incident is not an isolated case but part of a sustained policy of coercion and aggression against Venezuela, grounded in unilateral, illegal, and illegitimate coercive measures.
The letter explains that these practices have escalated to acts that legally constitute maritime piracy, explicitly prohibited under international law. It references Article 101 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which defines piracy as any illegal act of violence, detention, or depredation committed on the high seas.
International Maritime Law and UN Charter Violations Cited
The document stresses that when such acts are committed by a state’s military forces, the seriousness of the violation is aggravated and undermines the integrity of the multilateral system.
Moncada cited Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which categorically prohibits the use of force in international relations, except under Security Council authorization pursuant to Articles 39 and 42. Venezuela reaffirmed that no Security Council resolution exists authorizing actions against Venezuela or its lawful oil trade.
Demands for Return of Oil and Release of Crew
The letter also recalled multiple Security Council resolutions — including 1816 (2008), 1838 (2008), 2015 (2011), and 2634 (2022) — that condemn piracy as a threat to international peace and security.
It further noted that the International Maritime Organization has consistently rejected acts of piracy as a direct threat to maritime safety.
Venezuela demanded the immediate release of the detained crew, the return of the confiscated oil cargo, and the cessation of any interference with its legitimate petroleum trade.
The government also requested that the Security Council reaffirm in writing that no UN authorization exists for actions against Venezuela or its oil commerce, and that the letter be circulated as an official Security Council document to all UN member states. (PW)