SUNTV Global, January 4, 2026 –
Renowned Nigerian human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on the United States Congress to impose sanctions on President Donald Trump over what he described as an illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Venezuela, warning that the military action constitutes a serious breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.
In a detailed statement issued on Sunday, Falana condemned the U.S. military operations in Caracas, which reportedly involved bombing key locations in the Venezuelan capital, toppling President Nicolás Maduro, and resulting in the deaths of numerous unarmed civilians. He also accused the Trump administration of attempting to seize Venezuela’s oil and gas resources under the guise of regime change, effectively treating the South American nation as a colony.
According to Falana, the Venezuelan operation is part of a troubling pattern of what he called “reckless gangsterism” by President Trump in his second term, marked by repeated military interventions undertaken without the approval of Congress. He recalled that earlier in his second term, Trump ordered military strikes against Iran without congressional sanction and, in November 2025, issued threats of military action against Nigeria over what he referred to as a “Christian genocide.”
Falana further highlighted that on December 25, 2025, Trump claimed to have carried out “powerful and deadly” strikes against militants allegedly linked to the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria, once again bypassing congressional authorization.
“The abduction and extraordinary rendition of a sitting president of a sovereign state is indeed a blatant violation of international law,” Falana stated, referring to reports that President Maduro and his wife were captured and charged with terrorism and narcotics offenses in a U.S. District Court following the invasion. He described this action as a shocking example of double standards by the international community, highlighting the glaring hypocrisy in the treatment of powerful nations versus smaller states.
Beyond the immediate military aggression, Falana accused the Trump administration of attempting to install a transitional government in Venezuela designed to serve American interests, particularly the control of the country’s vast oil and gas reserves. “This is not just an invasion; it is an attempt to convert Venezuela into a new colony of the United States,” he said, warning that such moves undermine global norms and the principles of sovereignty enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Falana emphasized that ideological disagreements with Maduro’s administration, no matter how significant, do not justify foreign military intervention or the forcible removal of a legitimate government. He therefore called on the United States Congress to take immediate action by sanctioning President Trump for the illegal invasion.
He also urged the U.S. judiciary to reject what he described as an “abusive and dubious” attempt by Trump to use domestic courts to subvert the sovereign rights of the Venezuelan people guaranteed under international law.
“The silence of the so-called international community in the face of such violations is a betrayal of global justice,” Falana said. “The United Nations must rise to the occasion, demand accountability, and stand with the people of Venezuela if it hopes to uphold the integrity of the United Nations Charter.”
Falana’s statement comes amid growing international concern over the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, which has sparked debates over sovereignty, legality, and the ethics of regime change in global politics. Observers warn that the failure of global institutions to respond decisively could embolden similar acts of unilateral aggression by powerful nations in the future.
As the situation develops, calls for accountability and legal scrutiny of Trump’s actions are expected to intensify, with Falana joining voices worldwide urging that the principles of international law and respect for national sovereignty must not be compromised.
