- The request would be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Washington DC.- On July 31, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, announced his intention to request the International Criminal Court (ICC) to charge Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and issue an arrest warrant against him.
The action is based on accusations of “premeditation, treachery, brutal impulse, ferocity and superior advantage” in the repression of protests that have broken out in the country following the recent elections.
Almagro expressed his outrage at the statements made by Maduro, who had promised a “bloodbath.”
According to him, this threat has materialised in the context of the demonstrations, which have resulted in at least 13 deaths and more than a thousand arrests.
In his speech, Almagro stressed the need for justice and the importance of holding the main actors involved in these events accountable.
The secretary general’s remarks came during a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council, which failed to reach an agreement to issue a joint resolution demanding the publication of the electoral records, after the results of the National Electoral Council (CNE) gave victory to Maduro, a result that has been rejected by the opposition.
The vote in the Council resulted in 17 votes in favour, 11 abstentions, and the absence of five countries, including Mexico and Venezuela. This meeting was requested by Ecuador, in response to growing concern about the situation in Venezuela, where protests have sparked significant unrest.
Almagro also stressed that the OAS will be in charge of formalizing the request for charges before the ICC, although he did not specify the details of the charges. The OAS has been active in denouncing the political and social situation in Venezuela, seeking to raise awareness about human rights violations in the country.
