Operation Absolute Resolve and its Implications for International Law

The Maastricht Centre for Human Rights invites all staff to the first session of the International Law Discussion Group (ILDG), in its renewed format. This session will focus on Operation Absolute Resolve and its implications for international law.

On 3 January 2026, the United States launched Operation Absolute Resolve, a military operation in Caracas, Venezuela, which culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife for prosecution on charges relating to a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and alleged cooperation with armed groups designated as terrorist organisations. Venezuelan officials have said at least 80 people, civilians and military personnel, were killed in the attacks.
 

This session will explore a range of legal questions raised by these developments, including:

• The use of force and the crime of aggression, including claims of self-defence and humanitarian intervention;
• The capture and prosecution of President Maduro, including questions of immunity, inviolability, and international representation;
• Armed conflict classification, governance, and possible occupation, including whether and to what extent international humanitarian law applies between the United States and Venezuela;
• The boat strikes, including whether the strikes may amount to war crimes or extrajudicial killings;
• Future implications, including claims that the United States may assume control over Venezuelan oil operations, and the principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources.

The session is open to all colleagues interested in discussing and critically engaging with the legal implications of Operation Absolute Resolve and its broader consequences for international law.

To support the discussion, participants may wish to consult the following background materials:

• Just Security, Expert Q&A on U.S. Military Actions on Venezuela and Boat Strikes — https://www.justsecurity.org/126156/faq-venezuela-boat-strikes/
• Just Security, Head-of-State Immunity and the Maduro Trial — https://www.justsecurity.org/128073/head-of-state-immunity-maduro-trial/
• EJIL:Talk!, Which Immunity for Nicolás Maduro? Personal Immunity, Inviolability, and the Implausible Exceptions the US Might Claim — https://www.ejiltalk.org/which-immunity-for-nicolas-maduro-personal-immunity-inviolability-and-the-implausible-exceptions-the-us-might-claim/
• EJIL:Talk!, Expropriation, Oil, and the Prohibition on the Use of Force: Justification Narratives and the Effectiveness of International Law in the Venezuela Crisis — https://www.ejiltalk.org/expropriation-oil-and-the-prohibition-on-the-use-of-force-justification-narratives-and-the-effectiveness-of-international-law-in-the-venezuela-crisis/

• UN News, Security Council meets on Venezuela (5 January 2026) — https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166706

   

The International Law Discussion Group (ILDG) aims to offer a regular space for staff—both within and beyond the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights—to discuss topical issues in international law, including human rights, and to exchange ideas that may inspire new initiatives, events, and research collaborations.