Argentina Issues Arrest Warrants for Maduro, Cabello, Heightening Tensions with Venezuela
A federal court in Argentina issued arrest warrants for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, accusing them of crimes against humanity, The Associated Press reports.
The order calls for the “immediate” arrest of the two leaders and their extradition to Argentina.
The court’s decision came in response to an appeal by Argentine prosecutor Carlos Stornelli, who had initially seen his complaint against Maduro and Cabello dismissed. The case was brought forward by the Argentine Forum for Democracy in the Region (FADER), which alleges that the Venezuelan government has engaged in a systematic plan of repression, forced disappearances, torture, homicides, and persecution of dissidents since 2014.
This development comes just hours after Venezuela’s Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant for Argentina’s President Javier Milei, escalating an ongoing dispute between the two nations. The controversy revolves around the detention in Argentina of a cargo plane, which Washington claims was sold by a sanctioned Iranian airline to a Venezuelan state-owned company.
The tit-for-tat actions between the two countries have significantly strained diplomatic relations since the far-right Milei assumed power in Argentina in December. This latest development further amplifies these tensions, leaving the future of relations between the two countries uncertain.
The principle of universal jurisdiction allows Argentina to pursue charges against Maduro and Cabello for alleged crimes against humanity committed outside its borders.
