International Criminal Court Prosecutor Determines Crimes Against Humanity In Venezuela

In what represents a severe blow to the regime of Nicolás Maduro and to the governor himself, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague has determined that it has sufficient evidence to conclude that in Venezuela the << civil authorities, members of the armed forces and individuals in favor of the government Crimes against humanity.

<< Since at least April 2017, civilian authorities, members of the armed forces and pro-government individuals have committed the crimes against humanity of imprisonment, torture, rape and / or other forms of sexual violence and persecution of a group or community. for political reasons, ”said the prosecution, which made Venezuela the first Latin American country to be investigated for crimes against humanity.

The ICC prosecution has named as alleged perpetrators of these crimes against humanity members of the Bolivarian National Police (PNB), the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), the General Directorate of Military Counter-Espionage (DGCIM) , the Specials Action Force (FAES), the Scientific, Criminal and Criminal Investigations Corps (CICPC), the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), the National Command against Extortion and Kidnapping (CONAS) and certain other units of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) “.

The curious thing about this investigation, which was made public this Monday in The Hague, is that the government of Alberto Fernández – who in cases like the OAS refuses to condemn Maduro, but who criticizes before other UN-, approved this investigation which began in 2018 under the administration of Mauricio Macri.

Specifically, this case was opened by the ICC prosecutor’s office in 2018, due to the complaint they filed. Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru, who forwarded the OAS report that year on systematic human rights violations in Venezuela.

In October 2019 itself, former justice minister Germán Garavano went to United Nations courts in The Hague (Netherlands) to meet with prosecutors. Shortly before, he had sent to the Court a file containing the testimonials from 40 Venezuelans residing in Argentina and recounting the harassment of all kinds that they had suffered in their country from the Venezuelan regime Bugle advanced then exclusively. The previous government opened a register for these complaints with the Human Rights Secretariat, which no longer interested the new administration.

Although Clarín consulted the Foreign Ministry and the government to find out his opinion on what the prosecutor said, there has still been no reaction. This is a very sensitive question for the Fernández coalition, where the hardest sectors, in particular those linked to Cristina Kirchner, refuse to condemn the Maduro regime. However, with regard to this particular report, last November the Chief of Staff, Santiago Cafiero, approved it.

In question 661 which they put to him, Cafiero listed the countries which, together with Argentina, had addressed to the Office of the Prosecutor of the Court, in accordance with article 14 of the Rome Statute, the request to investigate this situation to determine whether one or more specific persons should be charged with the commission of such crimes. “What remains to be seen at the moment, after Casa Rosada approved this 2018 survey last November, is whether they will also validate its results. Recently, the government refused to reject the elections. Maduro’s legislative elections, which condemned not only most of the neighboring countries, but also Europe. But they were recognized by China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico and Bolivia, among others.

Venezuela ratified the Rome Statute in 2000, which brought the court to life, and then it makes it subject to investigation. On February 8, the current prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, opened the preliminary examination according to the complaints, and after two years of analysis, concluded on Monday that there are elements to investigate the “alleged responsibility of those who seem to be most responsible for these crimes. “.

The countries in which investigations have been opened are Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Central African Republic, Kenya, Libya, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Georgia, Burundi, Bangladesh , Myanmar and Afghanistan.