The United Nations human rights chief on Friday condemned U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean suspected of carrying illegal drugs from South America, calling them “unacceptable” and urging they be stopped.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for an investigation into the attacks, marking the first condemnation of this kind by a U.N. body. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for Türk, told a regular U.N. briefing that the strikes “and their mounting human cost are unacceptable.” She added that the U.S. must halt such attacks and take all steps necessary to prevent extrajudicial killings aboard these boats.
Türk believes that U.S. airstrikes on these vessels violate international human rights law. While U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, have defended the strikes as necessary to curb drug trafficking, Shamdasani emphasized that lethal force is only permissible as a last resort against imminent threats to life. Otherwise, such actions violate the right to life and constitute extrajudicial killings.
She noted the strikes occur outside any armed conflict or hostilities, highlighting the legal and human rights concerns surrounding the campaign.
Source: AP