Argentina urges ICC to issue arrest warrant for Venezuelan president
Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela (photo: Getty Images)
Argentina has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This happened against the backdrop of protests, reports Deutsche Welle.
The protests in the country began after Maduro was declared the winner of the disputed presidential election in July.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry claims that the actions of the Maduro government after the vote may constitute crimes against humanity.
The ministry added that on Monday, September 9, Buenos Aires will file a petition with the court requesting an arrest warrant for Maduro and other members of his government.
“The evidence gathered in the course of the investigations conducted by the International Criminal Court prosecutor's office and the events that followed the July 28 presidential election are sufficient elements to consider the validity of the issuance of the aforementioned arrest warrants,” the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Protests over election results
Deutsche Welle reminded that former bus driver Nicolas Maduro came to power in Venezuela in 2013 after the death of his mentor Hugo Chavez. His time in power was accompanied by many controversies, but now Maduro is facing increasing pressure both at home and abroad due to the disputed July 28 elections.
The Venezuelan opposition claimed the victory of its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez and reported that the vote was marred by fraud.
In turn, the disputed election results plunged the Latin American country into a state of confusion.
The ensuing protests left at least 23 people dead, dozens injured, and thousands detained.
The UN, the US, the EU, and a number of countries have condemned the ongoing repression of opposition to the election results.
A few days ago, a court in Venezuela issued an arrest warrant for the former opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez.
