In an exclusive interview on teleSUR, Tarek William Saab reveals that the January 3rd attack left between 100 and 120 dead and sets a precedent that threatens the sovereignty of any nation in the world.
The Venezuelan Attorney General stated that the actions of January 3, 2026, rendered International Law a “dead letter.” The US military aggression, which included fighter jets, missiles, warships, drones, and bombers, violated Venezuelan airspace and left between 100 and 120 people dead, including civilians and military personnel.
Tarek William Saab compared the global inaction in the face of this offensive to the world’s silence regarding the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza since 2023, noting that both cases demonstrate the collapse of international protection mechanisms. The Attorney General denounced that Washington acted without a formal declaration of war or approval from the US Congress, violating its own Constitution.
The operation destroyed a nascent bilateral dialogue process that had begun with a phone call between Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Donald Trump. That conversation, which anticipated a bilateral meeting, was buried under the military escalation.
UN Charter ignored: fundamental principles bombed
Saab cited Article 2, paragraph 4 of the UN Charter, which expressly prohibits “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State.” This fundamental provision was completely ignored during the operation.
The violation of Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which criminalizes aggression, was also evident. The Prosecutor expressed his surprise at the silence of numerous human rights activists who now remain silent in the face of this flagrant transgression.
The list of violated norms includes the Geneva Convention, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the treaties of the International Court of Justice, and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to Saab, these instruments are rendered ineffective when a military operation is carried out against a country that is not at war.
The Attorney General emphasized that the sovereign equality of states and the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes were undermined. The aggression “bombed and shot at” these principles, leaving them as mere declarations without real application.
Presidential Immunity Demolished: No Leader Is Safe
The principle of absolute presidential immunity, established by the International Court of Justice in a 2002 ruling, stipulates that a sitting president cannot be arrested, prosecuted, or kidnapped by a criminal jurisdiction outside their territory. This legal protection was demolished in the Venezuelan case.
Saab emphasized that Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognizes the sovereignty of peoples and their inalienable right to self-determination. This right allows nations to determine their political status without external interference.
The Attorney General accused “international Zionism” of participating in the attempted kidnapping of President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Initiating a military aggression and carrying out the kidnapping of a head of state “cross the line” of legality, demonstrating the collapse of the principles that should govern relations between nations.
The violation of presidential immunity sets a dangerous precedent. If a constitutionally elected president can be the target of a military operation, no world leader is safe from similar actions by powers that disregard international law.
“Cartel of the Suns”: False Flag Operation
The Attorney General categorically debunked the narrative of the so-called “Cartel of the Suns,” used as a pretext to justify the offensive. Saab reported that even the U.S. Department of Justice has stopped mentioning this alleged criminal group.
According to the Attorney General, if such an organization ever existed, it was between 1990 and 1993, during Carlos Andrés Pérez’s second term, and was a creation of the CIA and the DEA. As evidence, Saab cited statements by Goudreau, owner of the mercenary company Silvercorp, who claimed that the cartel “was a creation of the CIA and the DEA to traffic drugs from Venezuela to the United States and the entire world.”
This assertion contrasts sharply with Venezuela’s record in the fight against drug trafficking since Hugo Chávez came to power. The seizures of tons of drugs have been recognized by specialized UN agencies.
Saab denied that Venezuela is a major drug trafficking route to the United States and Europe. Ninety-five percent of the drugs that reach these destinations originate from the Pacific coast: Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia. Venezuela has “absolutely nothing” to do with these routes.
The Attorney General demanded the presentation of concrete evidence: audio recordings, videos, wiretaps, testimonies, confessions, and arrests. Since this evidence was lacking, Saab concluded that it was a “false flag operation” designed to justify the aggression.
Iraq, Libya, and Panama: the cocktail of a new invasion
The operation against Venezuela combines elements of three previous US military interventions, surpassing in methodology what was seen in Iraq, Libya, and Panama. As in the Iraqi and Libyan cases, the main motive is the seizure of oil resources.
The Venezuelan people have demonstrated “dignity, serenity, and stoicism” by not falling for provocations that could justify a prolonged military occupation. Saab recalled that US troops invaded Iraq in 1991 and again in 2003, remaining for decades. Thirty-five years have passed since the first intervention, and there are still troops “supposedly leaving” that country.
The parallel with Panama lies in the attempted kidnapping of a leader. The invasion of that Central American country resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 people and culminated in the abduction of Manuel Antonio Noriega. However, Saab emphasized a fundamental difference: Noriega was not a democratically elected president nor was he in office constitutionally, and he had also been a CIA agent.
The Attorney General called on the international community not only to engage in dialogue, but to “impose” concrete actions that support the peace diplomacy led by the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.
Lawfare and economic blockade: unconventional warfare
The Attorney General denounced the economic sanctions as “unilateral coercive measures” that function as unconventional weapons of war, complementing the lawfare strategy. This term describes the use of legal and judicial mechanisms to attack and destabilize political leaders and governments.
Saab cited examples of Latin American leaders who have fallen victim to this methodology: Cristina Kirchner, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Rafael Correa, and Evo Morales. These leaders have been persecuted, imprisoned, or barred from holding office through politically motivated legal proceedings.
Venezuela has served as a “laboratory” for this methodology. Lawfare has manifested itself through economic blockades and the confiscation of national assets, such as CITGO’s resources in the United States and Venezuelan gold held at the Bank of England. Furthermore, legal cases have been fabricated against state officials.
The more than 1,100 sanctions imposed against Venezuela constitute an “unprecedented war” that prevents the country from trading freely, seeking its economic strangulation. This policy has led to the migration of Venezuelan citizens.
The Attorney General questioned the hypocrisy of those who promoted Venezuela’s economic collapse and now demand solutions to the problems they themselves helped create. Despite this obstacle, Venezuela has managed to overcome the critical situation and is moving toward a new destiny.
NGOs and double standards: complicit silence in the face of aggression
Saab expressed his “great disappointment” with the actions of numerous non-governmental organizations. Although some issued statements condemning the attempted kidnapping of President Maduro, the bulk of the content was dedicated to “justifying the narrative” that paved the way for this situation.
The Attorney General accused these organizations of contributing to the destabilization by spreading the idea that there was “no democracy” in Venezuela or that it was a “failed state.” This rhetoric paved the way for the aggression, ignoring the impact of the 1,100 sanctions.
The double standards of certain human rights activists were exposed by their silence regarding violations of the Rome Statute and other international instruments. While they speak out about alleged violations in Venezuela, they remain silent about a military aggression that left more than a hundred victims.
100,000 Investigations Disprove Official Narrative
The Attorney General revealed that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated more than 100,000 investigations into violations allegedly committed by state officials. This figure contrasts sharply with narratives that portray Venezuela as a country without justice mechanisms.
Saab emphasized that the Public Prosecutor’s Office acts independently, without political pressure, investigating and prosecuting any transgression. Venezuela’s objective is that its actions in defense of sovereignty will serve to ensure that International Law is “reborn” and becomes a set of living principles that protect the peoples of the world.
The Attorney General concluded by urging the world to “impose” concrete actions, supporting the peace diplomacy led by the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez. Symbolic condemnations are insufficient to reverse these aggressions. A global will is required to rebuild an international order based on respect for the dignity of all peoples.
IMAGE CREDIT: The Attorney General emphasized that the sovereign equality of states and the principle of peaceful dispute resolution were undermined. Photo: teleSUR
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
