An UNMUTED Interview: Law, Power, and Venezuela

​Unmuted Dialogue: Is the U.S. Intervention in Venezuela Legal?

​Join us for a focused conversation on one of the most contested questions in foreign policy today: whether the United States’ recent military and political actions in Venezuela comply with legal norms at home and under international law. In early 2026, U.S. forces intervened in Venezuela, including the capture of Nicolás Maduro, actions that have sparked intense legal debate.

​Critics argue that without United Nations Security Council authorization or clear grounds for self-defense, such use of force violates the U.N. Charter’s prohibition on military intervention and state sovereignty, and may breach constitutional requirements for Congress to authorize war. Supporters point to criminal charges, counter-narcotics objectives, and other interpretations as justification, but legal scholars remain sharply divided.

​We’ll unpack the legal arguments, examine competing interpretations of international and U.S. law, and assess what this moment means for norms governing intervention, sovereignty, and the limits of power.