Heads of state, policymakers and international law scholars are among those who have labeled U.S. military actions against Venezuela and the Jan. 3, 2026, capture of its leader as unlawful. But what exactly does that mean?
The Conversation asked Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor of international law at the University of Notre Dame, to explain what about recent actions by the U.S. violate international law and why that matters.
