PBI-accompanied organizations spoke out quickly and clearly against the military aggression and attack carried out by the United States against Venezuela. Read responses from the region and around the world below.
Honduras
COPINH social media image: “No to war in Venezuela! No to war over the resources of the Venezuelan people!”
This ALERT FOR REGIONAL PEACE states: “Organizations, networks, and social and human rights platforms in Latin America express our strong rejection of the military aggression against Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife perpetrated by the United States.”
The statement “reaffirms that military aggression can never be a solution and that the defense of life, the self-determination of peoples, and regional peace must prevail over any geopolitical interest.”
Among the signatories to this ALERT is the Honduran Alternative for Community and Environmental Vindication (ARCAH), an organization accompanied by the Peace Brigades International-Honduras Team.
Other PBI-Honduras accompanied organizations, defenders and communities that have posted on social media include: the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH).
“COPINH condemns the infamous attack by the US government and military against the people and territory of Venezuela.
We call upon the people and organizations of Honduras and Latin America to denounce and reject the attack against the Latin American region in Venezuela.
We call for peace and respect for the rights to life, sovereignty, and self-determination.
No to colonial wars.”
COPINH image: “No to war in Venezuela! No to war over the resources of the Venezuelan people!”
This ALERT FOR REGIONAL PEACE states: “Organizations, networks, and social and human rights platforms in Latin America express our strong rejection of the military aggression against Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife perpetrated by the United States.”
The statement “reaffirms that military aggression can never be a solution and that the defense of life, the self-determination of peoples, and regional peace must prevail over any geopolitical interest.”
Among the signatories to this ALERT are several organizations accompanied by the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project: the Humanitarian Action Corporation for Coexistence and Peace in Northeast Antioquia (CAHUCOPANA); the Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (CREDHOS); the Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee (CSPP); the Corporation Judicial Freedom (CJL); the Social Corporation for Community Advice and Training Services (COSPACC); and the Association for Social Research and Action (NOMADESC).
Colombian organizations accompanied by Peace Brigades International have also posted on social media.
CAJAR: “Attention More than 900 organizations, networks, platforms, social movements, and human rights groups in the country and Latin America. We strongly condemn the military aggression against Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the United States!”
CREDHOS: “The United States’s attack on Venezuela constitutes a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of the Charter of the Organization of American States and the Charter of the United Nations. From CREDHOS, we express our absolute REJECTION of this IMPERIALIST INTERVENTION and call upon the progressive and democratic forces of the country to join forces in defense of national sovereignty and the self-determination of peoples. The defense of democracy, self-determination, and peace for all peoples is our ultimate goal!
CSPP: “MAXIMUM ALERT LATIN AMERICA. Donald Trump’s actions against Venezuela are illegal, violate international law, and jeopardize the sovereignty of all of Latin America. This isn’t about drugs: it’s imperialism, intimidation, and interference in the lives of our people and their decisions. Latin America is not a backyard. It is a living territory, home to dignified peoples, and sovereignty that is not negotiable. Latin America must unite. No to empire. Yes to self-determination.”
PBI-Colombia has amplified on Instagram this post by the CSPP.
Mexico
Espacio OSC is the Space of Civil Society Organizations for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, composed of Mexican and international organizations working in Mexico, in the development of joint strategies to make advocacy more effective for the protection of the right to defend human rights and the exercise of freedom of expression in the country.
The Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project is a member of the Espacio and accompanies it as well.
On January 4, 2026, Espacio OSC posted on social media and shared a statement entitled Violation of International Law: Mexican Organizations Condemn U.S. Military Attack in Venezuela.
Espacio OSC Statement
More than 400 human rights organizations in Mexico condemn the military intervention and attacks by the US government against Venezuela, in violation of international law and the principles of sovereignty and self-determination.
The actions of January 3rd endanger the civilian population and threaten peace in Latin America.
We demand an immediate end to the armed action and call on the UN and the international community to initiate dialogue and mediation.
War is not the solution. Latin America needs peace.”
PBI-Mexico has also amplified this statement on Instagram.
The full statement from Espacio OSC can be read here. We have also included an English translation below.
Violation of International Law: Mexican Organizations Condemn U.S. Military Attack in Venezuela
January 04, 2026
Human rights organizations, networks and platforms in Mexico strongly condemn the military intervention and attacks perpetrated by the United States Government against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. These actions constitute a serious violation of international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of sovereignty, self-determination of peoples and non-intervention.
The military operations that took place in the early hours of January 3 represent a unilateral aggression that puts the civilian population at direct risk, deepens regional instability and sets an alarming precedent for Latin America. The use of force cannot be a legitimate mechanism to resolve political, economic or diplomatic disputes, nor to appropriate by force the resources of another country, being a serious threat to regional peace.
From Mexico we warn that this military escalation compromises the life, integrity and human rights of the Venezuelan population and the region as a whole. We demand the immediate cessation of all armed action and unrestricted respect for international law. At the same time, we reiterate our concern about the serious and systematic human rights violations committed by the Venezuelan government, amply documented by United Nations mechanisms, which must be addressed through peaceful means, with accountability and guarantees of truth, justice and reparation.
For this reason, we make an urgent call to:
– United Nations, to convene a special session of the Security Council and promote independent verification of the facts.
– The international community and the diplomatic corps, to condemn the aggression and activate mechanisms of dialogue and mediation.
– Guarantee the protection of the civilian population, respect for sovereignty and the principle of non-intervention.
We also call for the respect and guarantee of the right to information and the exercise of journalism, so that society has access to truthful, plural and uncensored information about these facts.
– We reaffirm that war is not a way out. The defense of life, regional peace, human rights and International Humanitarian Law must prevail over any geopolitical interest.
Latin America needs peace, not war.
Sovereignty, dialogue and human rights, now.
The EU-LAT Network
The EU-LAT Network is a pluralistic network of European movements and organizations that promote solidarity between the people of Latin America and Europe.
Its membership of over 43 European non-profits and individual members includes PBI-Guatemala, PBI-Honduras, PBI-Mexico and PBI-Nicaragua.
On January 5, 2026, the EU-LAT Network urged “the European Union to Reject Military Actions Carried Out in Venezuelan Territory”.
Their statement highlights: “The EU-LAT Network expresses its dismay at the violation of international law committed by the US government in Venezuela on January 3, 2026… The US armed aggression comes after months of escalating tension, which has included a significant military deployment off the Venezuelan coast and a series of lethal attacks. …We categorically reject this illegal military intervention, whose stated objective is the control of the country’s oil resources and their administration by a foreign power.”
It concludes: “From the EU-LAT Network, we urge the European Union and its Member States to clearly and publicly express their rejection of this military intervention and to call on the US government to refrain from resorting to the use of force and threats against the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Venezuela.”
The two-page statement was posted by the EU-LAT Advocacy Network on LinkedIn here. The full statement can also be read below.
The EU-LAT Network Urges the European Union to Reject Military Actions Carried Out in Venezuelan Territory
The EU-LAT Network expresses its dismay at the violation of international law committed by the US government in Venezuela on January 3, 2026, and joins the warnings issued by its members and allied organizations, as well as the alarm raised by the UN Secretary-General regarding the serious impacts of these events on peace, democracy, and human rights in the region and the world.
The US armed aggression comes after months of escalating tension, which has included a significant military deployment off the Venezuelan coast and a series of lethal attacks. These actions threaten regional stability, represent a serious violation of the UN Charter, and flagrantly undermine the rules-based international order. Furthermore, the region has widely supported this issue during the recent CELAC-EU Summit. Moreover, these actions set dangerous precedents within a worrying trend toward a new international order where dialogue and norms appear to be replaced by the law of the strongest.
The international community is aware that Venezuela is experiencing a prolonged democratic decline, a breakdown of the rule of law, and a complete closure of civic space, which has led to an unprecedented social, economic, and humanitarian crisis, forcing the migration of approximately 8 million Venezuelans from the country. Nicolás Maduro has remained in power following the 2014 elections, which failed to meet standards of electoral integrity and transparency, a situation widely condemned by the international community. During his administration, various actors have been involved in serious and systematic human rights violations and crimes against humanity, widely documented in regional forums of the OAS, the European Union, and the United Nations.
While acknowledging the gravity of this situation, we warn of the serious risk of further and massive human rights violations occurring amidst the current high uncertainty, in the context of a state of emergency, and in light of recent declarations by the United States government regarding its intention to administer the country. As the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has stated, human rights must, without exception, take precedence. The Venezuelan people need and deserve solutions that fully comply with international law, guarantee accountability for human rights violations, and do not exacerbate the situation in the country.
Therefore, we categorically reject this illegal military intervention, whose stated objective is the control of the country’s oil resources and their administration by a foreign power. We stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan people who, for decades, have been victims of grave human rights violations. We affirm that the only way to resolve this crisis must be through the Venezuelan people themselves, with the active support and accompaniment of the international community, using peaceful and democratic mechanisms, in full respect for international law and the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, and self-determination of peoples.
The commitment of the European Union and its Member States to democracy, justice, and fundamental freedoms requires a clear and unwavering defense of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. These are not optional: they are a guiding framework, both in times of calm and in times of crisis, such as the one Venezuela is experiencing today. From the EU-LAT Network, we urge the European Union and its Member States to clearly and publicly express their rejection of this military intervention and to call on the US government to refrain from resorting to the use of force and threats against the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Venezuela.
United Nations
This statement from the UN notes: “The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela has voiced grave concern over the country’s human rights situation following the US attack and capture of President Maduro, urging that accountability for long-documented abuses must not be eclipsed by the unfolding crisis.”
It then further highlights: “Expert member Alex Neve stressed that alleged violations do not justify a military intervention that breaches international law, while the illegality of such an intervention does not diminish the responsibility of Venezuelan officials for years of repression, amounting to crimes against humanity.”
Meeting of the UN Security Council
On January 5, the United Nations Security Council convened to discuss U.S. actions in Venezuela.
Reuters reported: “Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the meeting of the 15-member council, diplomats said.”
”Council members are split over whether Washington’s move upholds accountability or undermines a foundational principle of international order” was the reported outcome of the meeting.
On January 6, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, stated in response to the U.S. justification of its actions because of Venezuela’s abhorrent human rights record: “Accountability for human rights violations cannot be achieved by unilateral military intervention in violation of international law,” she insisted.
Thanks to PBI-Canada for compiling the responses of accompanied organizations and continuing to amplify the voices of the organizations, defenders and communities that we accompany!