The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued a rare and forceful response to a dramatic geopolitical development in South America, warning the international community against violations of Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a statement released Sunday from its headquarters in Abuja, the regional bloc expressed deep concern following a U.S. military operation in Caracas that reportedly led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The statement came less than 24 hours after the operation was made public.
Although ECOWAS traditionally focuses on security and stability within West Africa, the bloc said the events in Venezuela raised troubling questions about the erosion of international norms. While acknowledging the global fight against organised crime, ECOWAS drew a firm line against unilateral military interventions.
“ECOWAS wishes to remind the international community of its obligation to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, as enshrined in international law, particularly Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter,” the statement said.
The bloc also expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people, affirming their right to determine their country’s future through an inclusive and internal political process, rather than through external military force.
As more details emerge about Saturday’s raid, the scale of the destruction is becoming clearer. The New York Times, citing senior Venezuelan officials, reported that at least 80 people were killed during the operation, a figure expected to rise as rescue teams continue to search through damaged sections of the presidential palace and surrounding security facilities.
Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino confirmed that a significant portion of the president’s elite security unit was neutralised during the assault. The operation was described as rapid and overwhelming, involving advanced aerial capabilities that quickly subdued local defences.
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the operation’s success, stating that Maduro and Flores had been extracted from Venezuelan territory. He adopted a hardline tone regarding next steps, pledging to “assert American control over the country for the time being, with U.S. troops if necessary.”
The couple reportedly arrived in New York late Saturday night under heavy security and are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The U.S. Department of Justice is expected to pursue a landmark legal case, with charges including international drug trafficking, alleged cooperation with terrorist organisations, and the use of state resources to support transnational criminal networks.
Venezuelan authorities have rejected the U.S. actions, describing the capture as a “kidnapping” and demanding the immediate release of Maduro and Flores. The former president has consistently denied all allegations, portraying them as a justification for what he calls an “imperialist regime-change agenda.”
ECOWAS’s intervention in a South American crisis underscores growing unease among regional and middle-power blocs, as fears mount that the rules-based international order is giving way to a global system increasingly defined by power rather than law.
