Argentina instructs a judge to arrest Maduro internationally

An Argentine court on Monday ordered the arrest of Nicolas Maduro for alleged crimes against humanity, sources from the prosecution reported.

The decision was adopted by the Federal Chamber of the City of Buenos Aires in a case opened in early 2023, following a complaint against Maduro filed by the Argentine Forum for the Defense of Democracy (FADD), based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows countries to prosecute serious crimes against human rights regardless of where they were committed.

The court also ordered the arrest of Venezuela’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, and other members of the Chavista executive.

In a statement, the FADD – which includes Argentine politicians, academics, journalists, diplomats and human rights defenders – described the decision taken by judges Pablo Bertuzzi, Leopoldo Bruglia and Mariano Llorens as “historic.”

“The Argentine justice system has taken a crucial step in the fight against impunity for dictators,” said the NGO, which on Tuesday, together with the Attorney General’s Office, had asked the court to issue the arrest warrants.

FADD’s legal representative, Tomás Farini Duggan, said that “it is an achievement of the brave victims who, with courage,” have testified before the Argentine justice system “about the persecution, arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances and torture suffered under the Venezuelan dictatorship.”

Waldo Wolff, president of FADD and Minister of Security of the City of Buenos Aires, reaffirmed “the commitment to continue accompanying Venezuelans on this path towards justice and reparation.”

Elisa Trotta, Secretary General of FADD, stressed: “From now on, Maduro has become a fugitive from justice and the world has become increasingly smaller for those who have committed atrocious crimes.”

The activist recalled that Maduro’s government is also facing an investigation at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

“This decision by the Argentine justice system sends a strong message to the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, that it is time to do what is right and move forward with international arrest warrants to put an end to impunity in Venezuela. Those responsible for the crimes against humanity committed during the last decade must be punished,” said Trotta.

The FAAD noted that the decision of the Argentine justice system comes a week after the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission denounced “brutal repression” and “unprecedented violence” in Venezuela following the presidential elections on July 28..