Research Article

THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

Volume: 34 Number: 1 March 18, 2026
TR EN

THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

Abstract

This study examines the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States in light of international law. The article argues that this operation severely violated the founding norms of the system, such as the prohibition of the use of force, state sovereignty, and immunity. Analyzing the event within the framework of jus ad bellum, customary law, and state responsibility, the study demonstrates that the operation cannot be justified under the guise of "law enforcement activity" and does not comply with any legal exceptions to the prohibition of the use of force. The study emphasizes that the forceful seizure of a sitting leader on foreign soil constitutes a direct attack on territorial integrity and political independence. Furthermore, it recalls that, according to customary law, the absolute personal immunity enjoyed by heads of state prevents foreign jurisdiction regardless of the severity of the crime. In this context, it underlines that the operation contradicts the US's own past legal positions and international precedents. In conclusion, the study argues that the selective instrumentalization of legal norms by powerful states sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the universality and long-term legitimacy of the international legal order.

Keywords

References

  1. AGENJO, Adrián: “Which Immunity for Nicolás Maduro? Personal Immunity, Inviolability, and the Implausible Exceptions the US Might Claim”, EJIL: Talk!, 22 January 2026, https://www.ejiltalk.org/which-immunity-for-nicolas-maduro-personal-immunity-inviolability-and-the-implausible-exceptions-the-us-might-claim/ (Erişim Tarihi: 10.01.2026).
  2. AHMED, Mustak: “The Politics of Kidnapping: U.S. Intervention and the Detention of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro—Implications for International Law and State Sovereignty”, SSRN Working Paper, University of Rajshahi, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6036036 (Erişim Tarihi: 20.01.2026).
  3. AKANDE, Dapo/SHAH, Sangeeta: “Immunities of State Officials, International Crimes, and Foreign Domestic Courts”, European Journal of International Law, C. 21, S. 4, 2011, s. 815–852.
  4. Arbitration Between Great Britain and Costa Rica (Tinoco Case), 1 R.I.A.A. 369 (1923).
  5. Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Belgium), Judgment, I.C.J. Reports 2002.
  6. BASSIOUNI, M. Cherif: Introduction to International Criminal Law, 2nd ed., Leiden 2011.
  7. BBC NEWS TÜRKÇE: “ABD’den Venezuela’ya saldırı: ‘Maduro yakalanıp ülke dışına çıkarıldı’”, YouTube video, 3 January 2026.
  8. BROWNLIE, Ian: Principles of Public International Law, 7th ed., Oxford 2008.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Public International Law

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

March 18, 2026

Publication Date

March 18, 2026

Submission Date

January 30, 2026

Acceptance Date

March 18, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 34 Number: 1

APA
Nasrat, K. (qaisar). (2026). THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi, 34(1), 247-272. https://doi.org/10.15337/suhfd.1877771
AMA
1.Nasrat K (qaisar). THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026;34(1):247-272. doi:10.15337/suhfd.1877771
Chicago
Nasrat, Kayser (qaisar). 2026. “THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi 34 (1): 247-72. https://doi.org/10.15337/suhfd.1877771.
EndNote
Nasrat K (qaisar) (March 1, 2026) THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi 34 1 247–272.
IEEE
[1]K. (qaisar) Nasrat, “THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW”, Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 247–272, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.15337/suhfd.1877771.
ISNAD
Nasrat, Kayser (qaisar). “THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi 34/1 (March 1, 2026): 247-272. https://doi.org/10.15337/suhfd.1877771.
JAMA
1.Nasrat K (qaisar). THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026;34:247–272.
MLA
Nasrat, Kayser (qaisar). “THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 34, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 247-72, doi:10.15337/suhfd.1877771.
Vancouver
1.Kayser (qaisar) Nasrat. THE US CAPTURE OF MADURO IN VENEZUELA: AN ASSESSMENT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW. Selçuk Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026 Mar. 1;34(1):247-72. doi:10.15337/suhfd.1877771

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