Some thirty former Ibero-American presidents on Friday asked the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “the immediate arrest and detention” of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, and the entire chain of command of the country.
“For the first time, 31 former presidents, former heads of state of 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,” former Colombian president Andrés Pastrana told EFE, who on behalf of the signatories presented a six-page legal report to the Court’s Prosecutor’s Office.
The signatories also include Spaniards Felipe González, José María Aznar and Mariano Rajoy; as well as Colombians Álvaro Uribe and Iván Duque; Argentine Mauricio Macri; Mexican Vicente Fox and Bolivian Carlos Mesa.
“It is important to note that in Spain Felipe González, José María Aznar and Mariano Rajoy signed it. The only former president who did not sign it is (José Luís Rodríguez) Zapatero,” Pastrana said after meeting with prosecutor Karim Khan’s team at the ICC headquarters.
The signatories, who are part of the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA-Democrática), denounced in their legal report “widespread and systematic violations of human rights,” including “crimes against humanity” by the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro, which they accuse of “state terrorism.”
This complaint, which extends to members of the Venezuelan Army as the fundamental support of the Maduro regime, is added to the case opened against Venezuela at the ICC in 2021.
In November of that year, the ICC prosecutor opened a formal investigation against Venezuela after having examined the complaints of Peru, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile and Paraguay, stating that crimes against humanity had been committed in the country since February 12, 2014.
For now, the investigation is being carried out against Venezuela and not against any senior officials from the Latin American country.
The “core” of the legal report presented by the former Ibero-American leaders focuses on the existence of the Constitutional Law of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, which was sanctioned on January 29, 2020, which names Maduro commander in chief, such that since then he is the highest hierarchical authority of the Army, as contemplated by law.
“It is important because, according to that document, Venezuela ceases to be a civilian state and becomes a military state,” said Pastrana, and Maduro, in his role as supreme commander, is “directly responsible for what is happening through the operational chain of command,” as well as the other positions, since “due diligence today is no longer an excuse to exempt you from investigations.”
“There is state terrorism promoted directly by the President of the Republic,” said Pastrana, who offered the International Criminal Court the cooperation of the IDEA group to obtain “evidence, proof, legal support” so that it can act “quickly” in the case against Venezuela.
In his meeting with prosecutor Khan’s team, Pastrana also wanted to “draw attention to what was happening” in the country and to the “concern” for the safety of opposition leaders Edmundo González and María Corina Machado, whose situation is “very fragile”, as well as the “more than 1,200 political detainees.”
Caracas / EFE
#IberoAmerican #leaders #ICC #arrest #Maduro
2024-09-07 05:34:37
ICC Venezuela investigation
Table of Contents
International Criminal Court Urged to Take Action Against Venezuela’s Maduro
In a groundbreaking move, thirty-one former Ibero-American presidents have come together to demand the immediate arrest and detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, and the entire chain of command of the country. This historic call to action was made to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) [[1]].
The former presidents, including notable figures such as Felipe González, José María Aznar, and Mariano Rajoy of Spain, Álvaro Uribe and Iván Duque of Colombia, Mauricio Macri of Argentina, Vicente Fox of Mexico, and Carlos Mesa of Bolivia, presented a six-page legal report to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office. The report highlights widespread and systematic violations of human rights, including crimes against humanity, committed by the Venezuelan regime under Maduro’s leadership.
This complaint is not an isolated incident, but rather an addition to the ongoing case against Venezuela at the ICC. In 2021, the ICC prosecutor opened a formal investigation into Venezuela after examining complaints from Peru, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, and Paraguay, stating that crimes against humanity had been committed in the country since February 12, 2014 [[3]].
The legal report presented by the former Ibero-American leaders focuses on the Constitutional Law of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, which was sanctioned on January 29, 2020. This law names Maduro as commander in chief, making him the highest hierarchical authority of the Army. As a result, the former presidents argue that Maduro is directly responsible for the human rights violations committed by the Venezuelan regime, and that his role as supreme commander makes him accountable for the actions of the entire chain of command.
The ICC has the jurisdiction to investigate crimes committed on the territory of Venezuela or by its nationals from July 1, 2002, onwards [[3]]. Amnesty International has also weighed in on the issue, stating that the scale and gravity of the ongoing crimes in Venezuela demand urgent action from the ICC prosecutor [[1]].
The request for the immediate arrest and detention of Maduro and other high-ranking officials is a significant development in the pursuit of justice for the victims of human rights abuses in Venezuela. It remains to be seen how the ICC will respond to this call to action, but one thing is clear: the international community is increasingly holding Maduro’s regime accountable for its actions.
References:
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ICC Venezuela Investigation: International Criminal Court Urged to Take Action Against Venezuela’s Maduro
In a historic move, thirty-one former Ibero-American presidents have come together to demand the immediate arrest and detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, and the entire chain of command of the country. This call to action was made to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) [[1]].
The former presidents, including notable figures such as Felipe González, José María Aznar, and Mariano Rajoy of Spain, Álvaro Uribe and Iván Duque of Colombia, Mauricio Macri of Argentina, Vicente Fox of Mexico, and Carlos Mesa of Bolivia, presented a six-page legal report to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office. The report highlights widespread and systematic violations of human rights, including crimes against humanity, committed by the Venezuelan regime under Maduro’s leadership.
This complaint is not an isolated incident, but rather an addition to the ongoing case against Venezuela at the ICC. In 2021, the ICC prosecutor opened a formal investigation into Venezuela after examining complaints from Peru, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, and Paraguay, stating that crimes against humanity had been committed in the country since February 12, 2014 [[3]].
The legal report presented by the former Ibero-American leaders focuses on the Constitutional Law of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, which was sanctioned on January 29, 2020. This law names Maduro as commander in chief, making him the highest hierarchical
