ALABAMA - In recent weeks, governments across the globe have stepped up their efforts to reprimand Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro after he claimed victory in the country's presidential elections in July without showing supporting documentation. Earlier this month, Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott announced the introduction of a bill that aims to increase the U.S. government's reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $100 million.
Another regional foe of Maduro's who has been vocal when repudiating him is Argentina's Javier Milei. Maduro has eagerly engaged him, and last week the government-friendly Supreme Court approved a warrant for his arrest. Now, an Argentine court issued a mirroring decision, ordering the "immediate" arrest of Maduro and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello for alleged crimes against humanity committed against dissidents.
The ruling came in response to an appeal by Argentine prosecutor Carlos Stornelli after a previous decision dismissed such a request against both Venezuelan leaders.
It is the latest development in the tensions between both South American countries, which began right as Milei took office in December.
The case against Maduro and Cabello was brought before the Argentine courts by the Argentine Forum for Democracy in the Region, also known as FADER, in early 2023. The case took into account Argentina's jurisprudence on human rights and the principle of universal jurisdiction that allows action to be taken against crimes against humanity, even if they have taken place outside of its borders.
The order came hours after Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Milei and two other senior members of his staff for charges related to the seizure of a Venezuelan cargo plane in Buenos Aires.
According to the plaintiffs, a systematic plan of repression, forced disappearance of persons, torture, homicides and persecution against dissidents has been in place in Venezuela since 2014.
Argentine federal court judges Pablo Bertuzzi, Leopoldo Bruglia and Mariano Llorens ordered that "the arrest warrants for Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello be executed immediately, and that their international arrest should be ordered via Interpol for the purposes of extradition to the Argentine Republic," according to the resolution.
Earlier in September, the U.S. announced sanctions to 16 Venezuelan officials over election obstruction and human rights violations, targeting leaders of the National Electoral Council, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice and the Maduro-affiliated national assembly.
The sanctions by the U.S. were announced days after the opposition's presidential candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, fled to exile in Spain following growing political repression and threats to his safety after the disputed July 28 election.
According to organizations like Foro Penal and Justica, Encuentro y Perdón, the estimated number of people imprisoned in Venezuela for political reasons is more than 300. Foro Penal said there have been around 15,700 politically motivated arbitrary arrests in Venezuela between 2014 and 2023.
The ongoing crisis in Venezuela has led to millions of people leaving their home country. According to the refugee agency UNHCR, more than 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled their home country since 2014.
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