Venezuelan President Meets with ICC Chief Amid Ongoing Investigation into Crimes Against Humanity

In an unprecedented move, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro held a meeting with the head of the International Criminal Court (ICC) while facing an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity.

The ICC chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, refrained from making any public statements following the meeting at the presidential palace in Caracas.

Khan’s visit marked his fourth to Venezuela and came after an appeals panel's decision allowed the court's investigation, initiated in 2021, to proceed despite objections from Maduro’s government.

International Support

Although the United States is not a member of the ICC, it has expressed support for the probe, which was initially proposed by several Latin American nations. The investigation focuses on Maduro’s alleged responsibility for offenses such as arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence carried out by security forces during protests in 2017.

The appeals judges, in their March ruling, expressed concern that Venezuelan investigations seemed to target low-level perpetrators. The ICC aims to hold senior commanders accountable for these crimes. Additionally, the judges highlighted deficiencies in Venezuela's investigative efforts, citing periods of unexplained inactivity and insufficient coverage of international probe aspects, including allegations of persecution and sexual crimes.