Former Indian diplomat Dilip Sinha condemns alleged abduction of Venezuela’s leader, calling it illegal and driven by oil interests

New Delhi

Former Indian diplomat Dilip Sinha on Wednesday described the reported abduction of Venezuela’s head of state as a grave breach of international law and global norms. Sinha said the act amounted to an unjustified military action that violated the sovereignty of an independent nation and set a dangerous precedent for international conduct.

He alleged that the current US administration was now pressuring Venezuela’s interim government to sell oil to the United States. Sinha said such actions were illegal and driven by economic interests rather than concern for the Venezuelan people. He claimed the focus on oil reflected an attempt to gain profit for the US, offering no benefit to Venezuela’s citizens or economy.

Sinha further noted that the continued presence of US military ships near Venezuelan waters limited the freedom of the acting government. He said interim president Delcy Rodriguez was aware that open defiance of Washington was not possible under the prevailing military threat. According to him, this reality forced the interim leadership to balance its political preferences with pressure from the United States.

Sinha said Rodriguez’s interactions with Russian and Chinese diplomats reflected her political leanings, but these moves were constrained by the heavy US military presence around Venezuela, limiting independent choices. His remarks came amid reports that US forces struck Venezuela and detained President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, now held in New York and denying drug and weapons charges. Rodriguez later announced seven days of national mourning and firmly rejected claims of foreign control, insisting Venezuela is governed only by its own people and institutions.