Politics
Legality of US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro in focus at United Nations
- US veto power prevents accountability at UN Security Council.
- US cites self-defence under UN Charter Article 51.
- Legal experts argue US operation violated international law.
UNITED NATIONS: The legality of the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will be under the spotlight at the United Nations on Monday, but Washington is unlikely to face strong criticism from allies over its military operation in the Latin American state.
The 15-member UN Security Council will meet on Monday after US Special Forces seized Maduro in an operation on Saturday that knocked out power in parts of Caracas and struck military installations. Venezuelan authorities also said it was deadly. Maduro is now in detention in New York awaiting a court appearance on Monday on drug charges.
Russia, China and other Venezuelan allies have accused the United States of violating international law, but US allies – many of whom opposed Maduro – have been less vocal about any concerns over the use of military force.
“Judging by the reactions from European leaders to date, I suspect that US allies will equivocate exquisitely in the Security Council,” said Richard Gowan, director of global issues and institutions at the International Crisis Group, a think-tank.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres views the US operation as setting “a dangerous precedent,” his spokesperson said on Saturday. Many legal experts also say the US action was illegal, although Washington will be able to block any attempts by the UN Security Council to hold it accountable.
Washington cites self-defence
In the wake of the US operation, European states have largely called for international law to be respected without specifically calling out Washington, though French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the US had violated “the principle of not resorting to force, that underpins international law.”
The UN Charter states that members “shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.” There are currently 193 members of the United Nations.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz on Sunday cited Article 51 of the UN Charter, which says that nothing “shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations.”
“In this case, you have a drug kingpin, an illegitimate leader indicted in the United States, coordinating with the likes of China, Russia, Iran, terrorist groups like Hezbollah, pumping drugs, thugs, and weapons into the United States of America, threatening to invade its neighbours,” he told Fox News.
However, legal experts say the US operation was illegal because it lacked UN Security Council authorisation, did not have Venezuelan consent, and does not constitute self-defence against an armed attack.
“The action violated international law,” said Tom Dannenbaum, a professor at Stanford Law School. “Serious legal objections to Maduro’s regime do not eliminate the need for a legal basis to use military force in Venezuela.”
US veto shields Washington
But Washington cannot be held accountable for any violation by the UN Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security. The US wields a veto – along with Russia, China, Britain and France – so can block action.
Maduro was indicted in 2020 on US charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy. He has always denied any criminal involvement.
“Even if Maduro were to be responsible for the smuggling of some drugs into the US, such smuggling of drugs does not constitute an armed attack and does not authorise the US to use force in self-defence,” said Milena Sterio, a professor at Cleveland State University College of Law.
She also said Washington “cannot exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction to arrest individuals anywhere it pleases.”
Adil Haque, a professor at Rutgers Law School, also said the US capture of Maduro “was an illegal infringement of the inviolability and immunity of a sitting Head of State, who may lack democratic legitimacy but was clearly effectively discharging his official functions on behalf of his State.”
Cuba says 32 of its citizens killed in Maduro extraction
The Cuban government said on Sunday that 32 of its citizens were killed during the US raid on Venezuela to extract Maduro for prosecution in the United States.
Havana said there would be two days of mourning on January 5 and 6 in honour of those killed and said funeral arrangements would be announced.
The Cuban government statement gave few details, but said all the dead were members of the Cuban armed forces and intelligence agencies.
“True to their responsibilities concerning security and defence, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of bombings on the facilities,” the statement said.
Cuba has provided some security for Maduro since he came to power. It was not clear how many Cubans were guarding the Venezuelan president when they died and how many may have perished elsewhere.
Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores were seized by US forces in the Venezuela capital Caracas on Saturday and flown to the United States. Maduro is being held in a New York detention center awaiting a Monday court appearance on drug charges.
- US embassy warns arrests can revoke student visas.
- Embassy cites deportation risk and future visa ineligibility.
- “A US visa is a privilege, not a right,” embassy says.
The US embassy in India warned on Thursday that arrests or violations of US laws can lead to student visa revocation, deportation and future ineligibility for US visas.
In a post on X, the embassy’s account @USAndIndia said: “Breaking US laws can have serious consequences for your student visa.”
“If you are arrested or violate any laws, your visa may be revoked, you may be deported, and you could be ineligible for future US visas. Follow the rules and don’t jeopardise your travel. A US visa is a privilege, not a right,” it added.
The warning follows other recent messaging by the US embassy in New Delhi on visa compliance.
In December, the embassy said it would deny tourist visa applications if consular officers believe the trip is primarily aimed at giving birth in the United States to secure US citizenship for a child.
“This is not permitted,” the embassy said in a post on X.
Gulf News reported the move added to uncertainty for Indian visa holders, including professionals who account for over 70% of H-1B approvals and nearly 90% of H-4 visas with work authorisation.
The US Embassy in India has also rescheduled visa interviews for some applicants, issuing fresh appointment dates extending to mid-2026.
Separately, the Trump administration in September proposed changes to rework the H-1B visa selection process to favour higher-skilled and better-paid workers, a Federal Register notice said.
The proposal followed a White House proclamation introducing a $100,000 fee for the visas.
If annual requests exceed the statutory limit of 85,000, the notice said, heavier weight would be given to applications by employers who pay high wages, with the stated aim of protecting Americans from unfair wage competition from foreign workers.
President Trump, a Republican, sought to reshape the H-1B process during his 2017–2021 presidency, but was stymied by federal courts and limited time at the end of his presidency.
Tighter US immigration policies are also feeding into wider concerns in India.
Matchmakers, academics and prospective brides and grooms say families are less inclined to marry their children to Indian citizens based in the US, citing fears that potential partners could lose their job or immigration status. There is no official government data on marriages between Indian citizens living at home and overseas.
Indian government figures put the US Indian diaspora at around 2.1 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). Since returning to office in January, Trump has launched a broad immigration crackdown, including efforts to limit legal pathways to residency.
Indians accounted for 71% of H-1B visas last year, while US Citizenship and Immigration Services data show that about 75% of H-1B visas issued to Indian citizens in 2024 were awarded to men.
For students, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement data show there were 422,335 Indian students in the US in 2024, with visa-policy uncertainty prompting many to rethink the “American Dream”.
CHONGQING, CHINA: Outstretching his hands in a signature Donald Trump pose, impersonator Ryan Chen mimics the US president’s voice and gestures with such accuracy that he has become a social media phenomenon with his funny videos.
The 42-year-old from southwest China does not engage in political satire — a minefield in the country that can lead to account suspension — but has amassed millions of followers across Instagram, TikTok and Chinese platforms.
“Trump is an endless well that never runs dry, because he draws more online traffic than anyone else on the planet,” Chen told AFP in his hometown of Chongqing, which itself has gone viral over its labyrinthine cityscape and spicy food.
During his videos, which are in English with Chinese subtitles, Chen lightheartedly presents Chinese cuisine, customs, cultural differences, jokes with foreigners and dances to Village People´s “YMCA”, one of Trump´s trademark stage songs.
And all his clips are peppered with Trump´s unmistakable mannerisms and buzzwords like “tremendous” and “amazing”.
“I’m not into politics, but I think he is a very good entertainer,” said Chen of the American president, whom he followed when Trump hosted the reality TV show “The Apprentice”.
“If I imitate him, it´s not to make fun of him. It´s to get attention,” he told AFP in a white cowboy hat.
“With that attention, I can boost my career, as well as promote China and my hometown.”
‘Like a neighbour’
Chen stumbled across his online fame by chance, only taking off in 2025 with Trump´s return to the White House.
The fan of “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory” — who had never visited the United States before this year — started making online videos to teach English as a “back-up plan” from his job in architecture, a sector hit hard by the property crisis in China.
He had moderate success, but his videos only went viral after a friend challenged him to imitate Trump.
His appearance in April on a livestream by IShowSpeed, an American YouTuber with over 47 million subscribers who was visiting China at the time, further boosted his visibility.
Chen said Trump has become such a big part of his life he now feels a certain familiarity with him, “like a next-door neighbour”.
He sees himself as a “bridge” between international internet users eager to discover urban China, its “lively” atmosphere, and Chinese people keen to understand foreign humour and cultures.
The impersonator now has more than a million followers on Instagram, almost as many on TikTok, and more than 2.5 million on Chinese platforms, and is recognised on the streets.
Chen, who learned English by watching his favourite American series, said his secret is to sound like a “native speaker”.
Another imperative is to “stay tuned” to news on Trump, who is “a goldmine of funny material”, according to Chen, who said he also draws inspiration from American impressionists of the president.
‘Try our hotpot’
The impersonator, whose real name is Chen Rui, said he is now able to make a living from his work through promotion, events and corporate parties.
“My main source of income is advertising,” he said, with brands for cars, digital products, games or milk hiring him for their campaigns.
In a sign his work has not upset the Trump administration, Chen announced in a video he had obtained a visa for the United States, which he is currently visiting for the first time.
And with Trump set to visit China this year, Chen called on the president to travel to Chongqing and “try our hotpot”, which is famously spicy.
While a meeting between the real Trump and his Chinese impersonator would “probably be cool”, Chen said he has no “burning desire” to do so because it would quickly become a diplomatic affair.
“I’m just a comedian,” he said. “I have no political aspirations.
- US to withdraw from 35 non-UN groups, 31 UN entities.
- Trump cites conflict with US interests for withdrawal.
- Move reflects Trump’s scepticism of multilateral institutions.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States would withdraw from dozens of international and UN entities, including a key climate treaty and a UN Body that promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment, because they “operate contrary to US national interests.”
Among the 35 non-UN groups and 31 UN entities Trump listed in a memo, opens new tab to senior administration officials is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change — described by many as the “bedrock” climate treaty which is parent agreement to the 2015 Paris climate deal.
The United States skipped the annual UN international climate summit last year for the first time in three decades.
“The United States would be the first country to walk away from the UNFCCC,” said Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“Every other nation is a member, in part because they recognize that even beyond the moral imperative of addressing climate change, having a seat at the table in those negotiations represents an ability to shape massive economic policy and opportunity,” said Bapna.
The US will also quit UN Women, which works for gender equality and the empowerment of women, and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the international body’s agency focused on family planning as well as maternal and child health in more than 150 countries. The US cut its funding for the UNFPA last year.
“For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law,” reads the memo. Trump has already largely slashed voluntary funding to most UN agencies.
A spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump wary of multilateral organisations
Trump’s move reflects his long-standing wariness of multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations. He has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness, cost and accountability of international bodies, arguing they often fail to serve US interests.
Since beginning his second term a year ago, Trump has sought to slash US funding for the United Nations, stopped US engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, extended a halt to funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA and quit the UN cultural agency UNESCO. He has also announced plans to quit the World Health Organsation and the Paris climate agreement.
Other entities on the US list are the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the International Energy Forum, the UN Register of Conventional Arms and the UN Peacebuilding Commission.
The White House said the dozens of entities that Washington was seeking to depart as soon as possible promote “radical climate policies, global governance, and ideological programs that conflict with US sovereignty and economic strength.”
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