Geneva, Oct 31 (AP) – The United Nations' human rights chief has condemned recent U.S. military strikes against vessels allegedly transporting illegal drugs from South America, labelling them as “unacceptable” and demanding their immediate cessation.
The criticism, delivered on Friday, is reportedly the first such denunciation from a United Nations body. Former President Donald Trump defended the strikes, asserting they were a necessary move to curb drug inflow into the U.S.
Volker Turk, the human rights chief, has called for an investigation following reports that over 60 individuals have perished in these strikes on boats in the region since early September, according to Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN human rights office.
“These attacks, along with their increasing human toll, are unacceptable,” Shamdasani stated during a UN briefing in Geneva on Friday. Turk contends that “airstrikes by the United States of America on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific violate international human rights law.”
The spokesperson reiterated, “These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable. The US must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.”
While the U.S. has framed these efforts as part of an anti-drug and counter-terrorism initiative, Shamdasani emphasized the global consensus that tackling illicit drug trafficking is a law-enforcement issue that requires strict limitations on the use of lethal force.
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