BRUSSELS

A political transition in Venezuela must be "firmly grounded in international human rights law and guided by the rights and aspirations of the Venezuelan people," a UN official said Thursday.

"At this time of immense uncertainty, protecting rights, addressing past abuses, and securing future guarantees is the only pathway to lasting peace and dignity," Bernard Duhaime, special rapporteur on truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of nonrepetition, said in remarks released by the UN human rights office.

Duhaime highlighted that "a transition cannot be imposed by foreign powers," and it must be "shaped and owned by the Venezuelan people themselves, free from external interference or pressure."

He echoed "the shock at the US military intervention in Venezuela and the subsequent apprehension of Nicolas Maduro,” which “blatantly violate the UN Charter."

Duhaime reiterated his readiness to support the Venezuelans and all relevant actors to ensure that a transition respects international human rights law and advances the rights and dignity of the population.

US forces launched widespread airstrikes early Saturday on targets in northern Venezuela, including air defense systems and communications infrastructure, while special operations forces conducted a raid in Caracas to capture President Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.

During the first hearing in their trial in a New York court on drug- and weapons-related charges, the couple pleaded not guilty.

The Trump administration has framed the operation as part of a revived enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine -- a 1823 shift to US dominance in the Americas -- and a crackdown on alleged narco-trafficking and corruption, while explicitly linking it to securing US influence on Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.