Buenos Aires has asked the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the Argentine Foreign Ministry reported.
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“Against the deterioration of the situation in Venezuela since July 28 and the commission of new acts that can be considered crimes against humanity, Argentina urges the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to request the Pre-Trial Chamber to issue an arrest warrant for Nicolás Maduro,” the statement said.
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Argentina also called for the arrest of other leaders of the Venezuelan government.
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In July, Argentina, where President Javier Miley is in power and has been a sharp critic of the Venezuelan government and its leader, decided to again support a case in the International Criminal Court against Caracas. On June 27, 2023, the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court allowed the ICC prosecutor’s office to reopen its investigation into crimes against humanity in Venezuela. The authority considered that Caracas does not properly investigate reports of crimes against humanity, paying attention only to the direct perpetrators of the crimes. The Venezuelan authorities filed an appeal against this decision on July 3, 2023, but it was rejected.
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The presidential elections in Venezuela were held on July 28, the next day the national electoral council declared Nicolas Maduro the elected president for 2025-2031, he received, according to the electoral council, 51% of the vote. The next day, protests broke out in Venezuela; in Caracas, clashes began between police and demonstrators, who began throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at law enforcement officers.
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According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, more than 2 thousand people have been detained in cases of destruction of state infrastructure, incitement of hatred and terrorism. The Venezuelan government has announced interference by a number of countries in the elections and in the people’s right to self-determination.
