Lesa Humanity: Argentina withdrew its support for the trial against Nicolás Maduro in The Hague

Argentina withdrew its support for the trial against Nicolás Maduro which is being processed at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The news came out today but, according to the Argentine government, the withdrawal of support was formalized the day after the group left Lima. “It is a consequence of the political decision to withdraw [de ese grupo]Sources from the Foreign Ministry told LA NACION.

Alberto Fernández’s government sent a letter to ICC headquarters in The Hague explaining the situation on March 25. The lawsuit against Maduro contains accusations of Crimes against humanity.

In the text, Argentina underlines that this withdrawal is “without prejudice to the actions carried out by the prosecution concerning the situation in Venezuela in accordance with the provisions of the Rome Statute, with respect for judicial independence”.

The letter was sent in March, the same day the government announced its departure from Lima Group, regional forum aligned with United States and who denounces the abuses of the Maduro dictatorship in Venezuela.

Official sources have added to LA NACION that the fact that Argentina withdraws its support does not undermine the advancement of the cause. The Lima Group was created in 2017 and is made up of Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, among others. It is approved by the United States. He was born amid protests against the Maduro government and a high impact migration crisis.

In this context, the Argentine government, together with President Mauricio Macri, appeared with the Group and brought legal action to investigate possible crimes against humanity committed on Venezuelan territory. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet produced a report denouncing human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, rape, torture and arbitrary executions. What is not yet entirely clear is why, while Argentina withdrew its support for such an impactful trial in March, the news was only known today.

In March, Argentina, through the Foreign Ministry, announced its departure from the Lima Group, made up of members of the Venezuelan opposition. The issue has always generated conflicts between Alberto Fernández and the harshest wing of the government, linked to the vice-president, Cristina Kirchner. In July last year, Fernández was embroiled in an internal controversy when he condemned human rights violations after hearing the Bachelet report.

But at that point, he said, as reported by LA NACION, that there had been no change in foreign policy. “We will not approve any undemocratic solution for Venezuela, nor will we approve a ban on Chavismo,” the government said at the time.

In 2019, the UN report on human rights violations in Venezuela was released. Bachelet was responsible for conducting the investigation. A year later, the former president of Chile declared that the country ruled by Nicolás Maduro continued to violate human rights, with extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, among other serious crimes against humanity.

The UN report details the arbitrary detentions, mistreatment and torture of critics of the government and their families, sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated during periods of detention and visits, and the excessive use of force during detention. demonstrations, as published in this media on its occasion.

THE NATION