Group of Friends in Defense of UN Charter condemn US aggression against Venezuela

The Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations (U.N.) on Sunday condemned "in the most unequivocal and categoric manner" the United States' military aggression against Venezuela on Saturday.

The acts of aggression by the U.S. special forces against Venezuela "included armed attacks against civilian and military objects in the capital city of Caracas, as well as in various other cities of the Venezuelan territory, and the illegal abduction of the President and First Lady of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, H.E. Mr. Nicolas Maduro Moros and H.E. Mrs. Cilia Flores de Maduro," said the U.N. group in a statement shared by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil in a post on social media platform X.

"Such acts constitute a clear breach of international law and of each and every principle governing international relations, including those foreseen in the Charter of the United Nations," the statement emphasized.

In the statement, the U.N. group reiterated its firm support to the constitutional government of Venezuela under the leadership of President Maduro and emphasized the importance of ensuring strict respect for the inviolability of the immunities accorded to heads of state and government under international law.

It also renewed its unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people in their ongoing struggle for defending their homeland.

The group demanded the immediate cessation of all hostilities against Venezuela, full respect for the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the immediate return of President Maduro and his wife to Venezuela.

It also demanded that those responsible for these acts of aggression be held accountable.

Furthermore, the group rejected the remarked by U.S. President Donald Trump delivered on Saturday afternoon, saying he "not only threatened with additional strikes against the Venezuelan territory, but also claimed his resolve to occupy and govern Venezuela and exploit its natural resources."

It described the remarks as "the confession of a clear plan of annexation that foresees, among others, the complete obliteration of the inalienable rights of the people, as well as the fundamental rights of the Venezuelan state as a whole."

It called on all relevant international bodies, including the U.N. Security Council and the U.N. General Assembly, to swiftly mobilize in order to uphold the purposes and principles enriched in the U.N. Charter and to urgently take appropriate measures to avoid further escalation of the situation, particularly additional acts of aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Venezuela, and preserve both regional and international peace and security.

The Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations was launched in July 2021 in New York, marking a significant step forward in the shared endeavor of the peoples of the world towards a multipolar future. It is of an open-ended nature and is currently composed of 18 member states.

Group of Friends in Defense of UN Charter condemn US aggression against Venezuela

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday presided over a State Council executive meeting that studied work on building a unified national market and reviewed and approved a plan for the development of a modern emergency response system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Noting that building a unified national market is essential to advancing high-quality development, the meeting called for deepening institutional frameworks in areas such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, social credit and market exit mechanisms.

The meeting also urged efforts to advance high-standard connectivity of market infrastructure to facilitate smooth economic circulation and effectively reduce logistics costs across society.

Emergency management is critical to protecting people's lives and property, the meeting said. It called for accelerating the development of a modern emergency response system, deepening reform and innovation in emergency management, and improving coordinated response mechanisms.

Efforts should be made to strengthen risk prevention at the source, enhance monitoring, forecasting and early warning, and accelerate a shift in governance toward proactive prevention, according to the meeting.

A draft revision of the Law on the People's Bank of China was also discussed and approved in principle at the meeting, which decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation.

Chinese premier chairs State Council executive meeting