4 January 2026 Statement by the Officers of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
The Officers of Pugwash express profound alarm at the military strikes conducted by the United States against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on 3 January 2026, including the extraordinary capture of the country’s president.
The use of force against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a State is strictly prohibited under Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, except in cases of self-defence against an armed attack or when explicitly authorized by the Security Council. Such actions also contravene the core legal principles of the Organization of American States and the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), including respect for sovereignty, non-intervention, and peaceful coexistence. Military actions undertaken outside this legal framework undermine the international rule of law, erode the foundations of global and regional security, and contradict long-standing regional commitments to the peaceful resolution of disputes.
The Officers of Pugwash call for an immediate cessation of any military action and a return to non-violent diplomacy respecting the rule of law in order to prevent further military escalation and the risk of wider regional conflicts. Guided by the Russell–Einstein Manifesto, we remind the international community of its shared responsibility to remember our humanity and to prioritize diplomacy, dialogue, and restraint over recourse to force.
Karen Hallberg, Secretary General
Hussain Al-Shahristani, President
Götz Neuneck, Chair of the Council
Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs 