Former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana has stated that there was not an electoral fraud but rather a ‘coup d’état’ in Venezuela. He, along with a coalition of former Ibero-American heads of state, has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for crimes against humanity and state terrorism. The group, composed of 31 former heads of government, called on the ICC to target Maduro and those in his chain of command following the controversial July presidential election that led to protests, deaths, injuries, and arrests.
The appeal to the ICC was made due to concerns over the transparency of the vote and the opposition’s claim that the incumbent was actually defeated in the election. The signatories of the document assert that Maduro and his leadership are directly responsible for crimes against humanity and systematic repression of the Venezuelan people, including opposition leaders. The ICC had previously opened an investigation into Venezuela regarding allegations of crimes against humanity, but the investigation did not target any specific names at the top of the state.
The former leaders, including Pastrana, Álvaro Uribe, Mauricio Macri, and others, are pushing for the ICC to take action and issue an international arrest warrant against Maduro for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity. They are also expressing concern for the safety of opposition leaders, María Corina Machado and Edmundo González. Despite calls for transparency from the international community, Maduro’s government has refused to present evidence of an official victory in the election, with the European Union not recognizing Maduro as the winner.
The current government under Javier Milei in Buenos Aires has also called on the ICC to act, arguing that recent actions by Maduro’s government could constitute crimes against humanity. The situation in Venezuela has been tumultuous since Maduro took office in 2013 following the death of his mentor Hugo Chavez. The pressure has been mounting domestically and internationally, with the contested July 28 election results plunging the nation into turmoil. The opposition has claimed victory for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, further complicating the political situation in the country.
