Chile's statement at a UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela

Here is an excerpt of the remarks by Paula Narvaez Ojeda, Chile's representative to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council emergency meeting on Venezuela in New York on Monday:

Chile would like to express our deep concern and firm condemnation of the unilateral military action taken by the United States in the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

We're also convinced that Latin America and the Caribbean must continue to be a zone of peace, because that zone of peace not only serves Latin America and the Caribbean, but the entire world. An armed conflict will have devastating humanitarian consequences in Venezuela and in the region. It will worsen the suffering of the civilian population and worsen even further the displacement, insecurity and vulnerability aspects of the situation.

We reiterate that any differences must be dealt with exclusively through peaceful means in respect of international law, the sovereignty of states, and the prohibition of the use or the threat of the use of force.

As was recently indicated by the heads of state of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Spain, we express our concern with regard to any attempt to control government administration or foreign ownership of strategic assets. This would be against international law and would threaten the political, economic and social stability of the region.