International Criminal Court Requested to Issue an Arrest Warrant for Maduro

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday to charge Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and issue an arrest warrant against him for “premeditation, treachery, brutal impulse, ferocity, superior advantage” in the repression of protests against Chavismo.  “Maduro promised a bloodbath, and we were outraged to hear it and we are even more outraged now that he is doing it. It is time to file charges and an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court against those primarily responsible, including Maduro. It is time for justice,” Almagro said on his account on the social network X. In this regard, he has promised that the OAS will be responsible for making the request for these positions, although he has not specified which ones, after which he added: “For a hemisphere free of crimes against humanity.” 

Almagro made these statements during his speech at the OAS Permanent Council meeting, which ultimately failed to reach an agreement on Wednesday to issue a joint resolution to demand that Venezuela publish the electoral records after the results of the National Electoral Council (CNE) gave Maduro the victory, which the opposition has rejected after denouncing fraud.  The vote ended with 17 votes in favor, eleven abstentions – among which those of Bolivia, Brazil and Colombia stand out -, zero against and the absence of five countries – among them Mexico and Venezuela – although an absolute majority is necessary to approve the text.  The Permanent Council has held an extraordinary meeting at the request of Ecuador regarding the situation in Venezuela, where protests against Chavismo have resulted in major unrest that has left eleven protesters dead and more than 1,000 arrested.