- Lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo mentioned that the Venezuelan government has used the detention of opponents as a “tool to stay in power” | Photo: EFE
Luis Moreno Ocampo, former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), believes that although there is a possible prosecution in Venezuela for crimes against humanity, the country needs a “transition towards democracy.”
“A transition is needed in which the regime accepts that it lost the elections and there is a path to a democratic system. It is not possible to believe that a little bit of makeup is enough,” she said in an interview with the EFE news agency.
In relation to the presidential elections of July 28, Moreno Ocampo does not doubt that there was “electoral fraud” and condemned the arrests of opposition leaders, electoral and criminal prosecutors.
The Argentine lawyer recalled that the ICC has an open investigation in Venezuela. He insisted that the Venezuelan government has used prison as a “tool to stay in power.”
In that sense, Moreno Ocampo said he was convinced that the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, “will not hesitate” to prosecute those responsible, although he stressed that “that is not enough.”
The ICC investigation
Since 2021, the ICC opened a formal investigation against Venezuela for the deaths of 150 people during the anti-government protests of 2017.
Subsequently, on March 1, 2024, the ICC Appeals Chamber issued a ruling on the resumption of the investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity that occurred in Venezuelaafter the Maduro government filed an appeal to suspend said investigation in 2022.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Court, the Venezuelan State has not collaborated in the investigation of alleged human rights violations.
Likewise, the documents collected by the ICC report alleged cases of homicide, torture, forced disappearance, imprisonment, rape, sexual violence, among others.
Argentina’s request to capture Maduro
On September 6, the Argentine Foreign Ministry urged the ICC to request a arrest warrant against Nicolás Maduro and other members of the government“given the worsening of the situation” after the presidential elections on July 28 in Venezuela.
“Given the worsening of the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as of July 28 and the commission of new acts that may be considered crimes against humanity, the Argentine Republic urges the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (Karim Kham) to “ask the Preliminary Chamber to issue arrest warrants against Nicolás Maduro and other leaders of the regime,” the Foreign Ministry reported in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry statement recalled that on July 19, Argentina rejoined the complaint against Venezuela before the ICC filed in 2018 by several countries, and from which it had withdrawn in 2021, during the government of Alberto Fernández.
These statements coincided with the request of More than 30 former Ibero-American leaders asked the ICC for “the immediate capture and detention” of Maduro and the entire chain of command of the country.
“For the first time, 31 former heads of state from Latin America and Spain sign a document (…) calling for the immediate capture and detention of Nicolás Maduro, Diosdado Cabello and the entire chain of command in Venezuela,” said former Colombian president Andrés Pastrana in interview with the EFE agency on September 6.
Among the signatories are also the Spaniards Felipe González, José María Aznar and Mariano Rajoy; as well as the Colombians Álvaro Uribe and Iván Duque; the Argentine Mauricio Macri; the Mexican Vicente Fox or the Bolivian Carlos Mesa.
With information from EFE
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ICC Venezuela investigation
Re the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding alleged crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Maduro regime. The statement highlighted concerns about the deterioration of human rights and the rule of law in Venezuela, urging the ICC to take decisive action.
In the wake of this proclamation, the Argentine government emphasized its commitment to upholding international justice, aiming to hold accountable those responsible for systemic abuses in Venezuela. The call for an arrest warrant against Maduro and other top officials underscores the continued attention on the human rights situation in the country, particularly with reports of ongoing abuses even as the political climate shifts.
The ICC has been investigating reports of crimes against humanity in Venezuela since allegations first surfaced, and the increasing international pressure could potentially lead to more significant actions from the court. Argentina’s foreign minister, Diana Mondino, also expressed solidarity with Venezuelan victims and emphasized the necessity for accountability.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen how the ICC will respond to Argentina’s latest request and what implications this may have for both international relations and the precarious situation within Venezuela.
