CARACAS.- A player in Argentina began an investigation for Crimes against humanity against officials of the Nicolás Maduro regime who acted in the 2014 protests, after establishing that Argentine justice is “fully competent to investigate, prosecute and criminally punish the perpetrators” of those crimes committed in Venezuela.
The information is provided by the organization Amnesty International, after presenting a brief before the National Criminal and Federal Correctional Court No. 2 of Argentina, in which it argues the importance of availing itself of universal jurisdiction given that “violations of human rights “They continue in impunity,” he said in a statement.
The investigation is related to the violent repression, torture, forced disappearances and persecutions for political reasons of opposition protesters who occupied the streets of Caracas and states of the country, since February 12 and for several months of 2014, in protest against the policies of the regime.
The complaint, which for the first time is brought to a court outside of Venezuela with criteria of universality of justice, “is an important step to guarantee the rights to truth, justice and reparation for victims of serious human rights violations in Venezuela.” , and complements the investigation of the prosecutor before the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, Amnesty International said.
Daily repression in Venezuela
According to the organization, the repressive policy established since 2014 is still in force and also unpunished.
“We once again see on a daily basis the use of arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, absence of minimum guarantees of a fair trial, and constant attacks on organizations and people defending human rights. While the human rights crisis in Venezuela is at a fever pitch, there is no better opportunity to stop the perpetrators of these violations and crimes and apply the full force of international criminal law to provide justice for the victims. The Argentine justice system has the opportunity to be protagonists of this effort,” says Mariela Belski, executive director of Amnesty International Argentina.
The investigation by the Argentine justice system begins in the midst of growing persecution, illegal detention and forced disappearance of opponents by the country’s regime, among whom is the human rights defender Rocío San Miguel and other prisoners who are also detained. has denied them the right to their private defenders and due process since February 9.
In addition, Maduro expelled the staff of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on February 15, which is interpreted as a refusal to cooperate with international scrutiny and evade accountability, to which they are obliged. the states,
2014 victim complaint in Argentina
On June 14, 2023, relatives of the victims of the protests during 2014, against the regime of Nicolás Maduro, and the Clooney Foundation for Justice filed a criminal complaint in the Argentine court, for crimes against humanity by Venezuelan officials. This is due to the lack of independence of the justice system in that country.
Not only military personnel and State security officials participated in the violent events, but also armed groups affiliated with the regime that acted amidst barricades.
The result of the repression unleashed was 43 deaths, more than 486 injured and almost 2,000 arrested, according to official figures of the time. More than 30 cases of torture were also reported.
The unprecedented complaint filed by relatives of the victims was considered an unavoidable fact for the Argentine justice system. This “has the obligation to investigate these crimes and, if sufficient and admissible evidence is found, it must charge and convict the alleged perpetrators,” AI said in a statement, which highlights the “titanic efforts of the victims to obtain truth, justice and reparation.” “, given the impunity prevailing in Venezuela.”
“The Venezuelan justice system has demonstrated that it has neither the will nor the capacity to genuinely and adequately investigate, prosecute and criminally punish the perpetrators of serious human rights crimes in its domestic jurisdiction, much less those who hold high positions in the of command”, considers Amnesty International, in the writing.
Crimes against humanity
Amnesty International considers the HIM and the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Court (ICC), “have denounced the existence of sufficient reasons to reasonably maintain that crimes against humanity have been committed in Venezuela.”
The investigation by universal jurisdiction is not new. Amnesty International documented that at least 20 States, from the end of the Second World War until 2011, have carried out investigations, initiated trials or completed trials based on universal jurisdiction for the most serious crimes.
In Argentina, crimes committed during the Francisco Franco regime in Spain and the alleged genocide in Myanmar were investigated in 2010.
Source: International Amnesty
