Venezuela expresses disagreement with the decision adopted by the Preliminary Questions Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to authorize the resumption of the investigation by the ICC Prosecutor’s Office, in the matter called “Venezuela I
Here is the full statement:
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expresses its disagreement with the decision adopted by the Preliminary Questions Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to authorize the resumption of the investigation by the ICC Prosecutor, in the matter called “Venezuela I” .
From the moment the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court began the Preliminary Examination in February 2018 and throughout the entire process, Venezuela has denounced the intention to instrumentalize the mechanisms of international criminal justice for political purposes, linked to the strategy of “regime change promoted by the authorities of the United States of America.
As part of this strategy, national and international political operators have tried to sustain an accusation of alleged crimes against humanity that have never occurred, based on the deliberate manipulation of a small set of crimes against human rights that have been or are being investigated. and sanctioned by the authorities of the Venezuelan Justice System.
In this sense, Venezuela regrets that this decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber lends itself to encourage and contribute to this maneuver.which clearly denatures the raison d’être of the International Criminal Court and undermines its credibility as an international justice body, despite all the information that has been made available to it.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will appeal this decision before the Appeals Chamber, while it will continue to use the actions provided for in the Rome Statute and International Law to defend the truth and ensure its rights as a Nation, against this offensive that openly it uses the institutional framework of the International Criminal Court for purposes contrary to its nature and the objectives that were pursued with its creation.
Caracas, June 27, 2023
