Sovereignty instead of military logic – Mexico contradicts Washington, the UN warn of a dangerous rupture

As international pressure grows after the US military operation in Venezuela, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has drawn a clear line. In her daily press conference, she firmly rejected any form of military intervention and openly opposed the actions of the United States. Latin America’s history leaves no doubt about this, she said: external interventions have brought neither democracy nor prosperity nor lasting stability. The region has learned this lesson at great cost.

Sheinbaum coupled her criticism with a clear defense of her own security policy. Mexican authorities have seized around 300 tons of drugs during her term in office, while homicide rates have declined. This shows that the fight against organized crime is not waged with bombs or troop movements, but through state presence, law enforcement, and social stabilization. At the same time, she turned her gaze northward: the United States must acknowledge its own responsibility, particularly the massive demand for drugs that drives the market in the first place.

The Mexican president recalled that her government had previously reached understandings on cooperation with the administration of Donald Trump – explicitly on the basis of mutual respect and national autonomy. Cooperation yes, subordination no. The right path lies not in military pressure, but in regional economic integration, joint development projects, and coordinated policies that address causes rather than symptoms.

At the same time, the UN Security Council addressed the consequences of the US raid. In an emergency session, it became clear how great the concern is about a further erosion of international rules. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that he was deeply troubled that, during the military actions of January 3 and 4, fundamental principles of international law may have been disregarded. The unilateral nature of the action weighs heavily because it permanently alters relations between states.

Guterres made clear that this is not only about Venezuela. If military force is used without an international mandate, a benchmark is created by which future conflicts could be guided. Numerous delegations in the Security Council warned of exactly this. Representatives from Latin America pointed to the fragile situation in the region, European states demanded a clear legal assessment and insisted on the prohibition of the use of force under the UN Charter. Here too, the EU once again shows its bureaucratic loss of touch with reality. A full assessment of this action would require months of intensive analysis. But in view of at least 40 fatalities, any theoretical balancing is effectively called into question. It also shows how far the EU has moved away from reality. We will report in greater detail on further consequences and background during the night.

The United States continue to defend their actions as necessary. But between Mexico’s clear rejection of any intervention and the warnings from New York, a deep rift is emerging. It is the conflict between military enforcement and political responsibility – and the question of whether international order still rests on rules or increasingly on power.