BUENOS AIRES.- Argentina announced that it requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) rejoin the International complaint against the Venezuelan regime for possible Crimes against humanity under the command of Nicolas Maduroin a turn in Argentine foreign policy just days before the Venezuelan presidential elections.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry informed the ICC of its decision to rejoin the “referral made in 2018 on the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, from which it had withdrawn in 2021.”
The complaint being processed by the ICC was filed in 2018 by six countries – Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru – who urged the court to investigate possible crimes against humanity and human rights abuses in Venezuela since 2014 under the Maduro regime.
However, in May 2021, Argentina withdrew from the joint lawsuit on the orders of then-leftist President Alberto Fernández.
The South American country’s new stance is part of a shift in foreign policy since the arrival to power of Javier Milei, who has a tense relationship with Maduro. In recent days, there have been new clashes after the Chavista leader insulted Milei during a political rally and accused him of supporting a plan to “suspend the elections” in the Caribbean country.
Venezuela is going to the presidential elections next Sunday, July 28, in which Maduro is seeking re-election for a third term and in an electoral process questioned by the Venezuelan opposition for the obstacles to its participation. In addition, the polls are not on Maduro’s side, showing an advantage for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutiathe “unitary” candidate of the coalition of opposition parties, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), with differences ranging from 12 to 20 percentage points.
“The Argentine Republic will continue to strive for the restoration of the rule of law and the defense of the principles of freedom and democracy in that country”the Foreign Ministry said regarding its intention to rejoin the complaint before the ICC.
He added that this decision is “consistent” with the positions that the Argentine government has adopted since December 10, 2023, when Milei assumed power, “in the face of the deterioration of the political and human rights situation in Venezuela.”
In 2021, the ICC, located in The Hague, accepted the complaint and formally began investigating the allegations against Venezuela. On March 1, the ICC Appeals Chamber dismissed an appeal filed by the Maduro regime requesting to suspend the investigations and confirmed the “decision authorizing the resumption of the investigation.”
Argentine presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni on Friday described Maduro as “a character who has become, or has always been, a dictator” and called him an insult.
“The words of a dictator simply do not merit analysis, because they come from a person whose ethical and moral values are distorted,” Adorni said at a press conference.
Former Argentine President Mauricio Macri expressed similar opinions, saying that Maduro “committed crimes against humanity against his population, produced the greatest humanitarian crisis in history and took away all individual freedoms from Venezuelans.”
“As Chavismo has systematically compromised its legitimacy to hold elections, I want to ask democratic leaders of the international community to remain vigilant, to ensure that the electoral process on July 28 is as transparent, fair and free of interference as possible,” he said on his X account.
Source: With information from AP