U.S. Supports Venezuela’s ICC Withdrawal as Maduro Case Advances in New York

• U.S. officials backed Venezuela’s ICC withdrawal and urged other member states to leave the Rome Statute.
• Venezuela’s departure takes effect after one year and cannot halt the court’s existing investigation.
• ICC prosecutors are examining alleged crimes against humanity linked to unrest beginning in April 2017.
• Maduro’s New York trial, set for June 1, 2027, concerns separate federal cocaine-trafficking allegations.

The United States has backed Venezuela’s decision to leave the International Criminal Court, opening a new front in Washington’s wider campaign against the tribunal. The endorsement came as Nicolás Maduro’s separate federal prosecution continued advancing in New York, where a trial is scheduled for June 1, 2027.

The State Department welcomed interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s decision and urged all member states to abandon the Rome Statute. It accused the court of selective enforcement, political bias, and poor use of resources, while criticizing the pace of the Venezuela investigation.

Rome Statute Rules Keep the Venezuela Investigation Active

Venezuela formally notified the United Nations on July 24 that it intended to withdraw from the court. Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia called the step “irrevocable” and said the institution unfairly concentrated its attention on Africa and Latin America.

Rodríguez also argued that the court had become politicized against Venezuela and its population. However, the legal consequences will not begin immediately, as Article 127 requires a one-year waiting period.

Under that provision, withdrawal becomes effective one year after the UN secretary-general receives written notice. It also preserves obligations created before departure and allows existing proceedings to continue.

That provision means Venezuela’s withdrawal cannot automatically halt the investigation already before the ICC. The inquiry focuses on alleged crimes against humanity linked to political unrest and demonstrations that began in April 2017.

Following those events, the court opened a preliminary examination in February 2018. It reviewed allegations involving security forces, civilian officials, and pro-government actors. Six member states later referred the situation to prosecutors, which increased pressure for a formal inquiry.

Consequently, the ICC opened a full investigation in November 2021. Venezuela then requested that the case be deferred to its domestic authorities, arguing that national institutions could independently examine the alleged misconduct.

However, judges rejected that request and authorized prosecutors to resume their work in June 2023. The Appeals Chamber subsequently upheld the decision unanimously in March 2024, allowing the investigation to continue.

Prosecutors had previously found a reasonable basis to believe that unlawful imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, and political persecution may have occurred. Nevertheless, Venezuelan authorities have denied the allegations and maintained that the country’s institutions can address such claims.

Maduro’s New York Case Proceeds on a Separate Legal Track

Although the State Department linked the court dispute to Maduro’s prosecution in New York, the two proceedings involve different allegations, jurisdictions, and legal frameworks.

The ICC inquiry focuses on possible crimes against humanity committed inside Venezuela. By contrast, the federal case alleges that Maduro participated in a conspiracy to transport cocaine into the United States.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on the other hand, have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Both defendants were seized by U.S. forces in Caracas during a January military operation and later transferred to New York.

Meanwhile, a federal judge has scheduled their trial for June 1, 2027. Maduro’s lawyers intend to challenge the indictment on sovereign-immunity grounds and dispute the legality of the operation that brought him into U.S. custody.

Venezuela’s withdrawal announcement also came amid broader turmoil within the court. Member states voted to dismiss prosecutor Karim Khan following sexual-misconduct allegations, which he has denied.

Although the controversy has strengthened criticism from Washington and Caracas, it does not eliminate the court’s jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while Venezuela remained bound by the Rome Statute.

Consequently, the ICC investigation remains active despite the country’s planned withdrawal.

The post U.S. Supports Venezuela’s ICC Withdrawal as Maduro Case Advances in New York appeared first on Blockonomi.