New Delhi

The Congress on Monday expressed grave concern over the United States’ unilateral actions in Venezuela, saying they violated settled principles of international law and undermined the rules-based global order.

In a statement, AICC Foreign Affairs Department chairman Salman Khurshid said the actions taken by the US over the past 48 hours transgressed norms enshrined in the United Nations Charter and various international treaties.

“The Indian National Congress expresses grave concern at the unilateral actions taken by the United States of America in Venezuela over the past 48 hours, which transgress the settled principles of international law,” Khurshid said.

He said respect for national sovereignty and peaceful coexistence have been the foundation of the post-World War II rules-based international order.

“Any kinetic actions that circumscribe these principles without the express sanction of the United Nations risk the resurgence of primordial rules of statecraft and undermine global stability,” the former external affairs minister said.

The Congress also stressed that the will of the Venezuelan people must be accorded the highest priority.

“The Indian National Congress urges that the will of the Venezuelan people be given utmost importance and that Venezuelan resources are utilised for the welfare of the Venezuelan people, as guaranteed under the principle of Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources,” Khurshid said.

The remarks come after US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his residence in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday and flew him out of the country.

US President Donald Trump later announced that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would face federal narco-terrorism charges in New York.

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India has also voiced “deep concern” over the US action, saying it is closely monitoring developments in the oil-rich South American nation.