The US military intervention in Venezuela and the kidnapping of the country’s president Nicolás Maduro has sparked a wide range of reactions. While experts in international law were quick to assert the illegality of the actions, European leaders have been hesitant to call out the government of the United States for its breach of international law – instead referring to political complexities. In Latin America, political responses varied, with Brazil’s president Lula clearly condemning US action and calling out the “flagrant violation of international law”. This range in reactions makes evident the tensions between a rules-based international order and political dependencies.

We aim to explore these current dynamics, as well as their broader implications, from the perspectives of International Law and International Relations, bringing into conversation scholars with expertise on the international legal order, human rights, natural resources and their extraction, US foreign and security policy, as well as Southern countries in global governance, in particular in Latin America. We warmly invite you to discuss the recent events and their implications for international law and politics with our guests.