The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khansaid this Thursday in Caracas, that the organization he leads will open an office in Venezuela, after an agreement reached with President Nicolás Maduro, with whom he met, in private, during this week, in which he traveled to the Caribbean country after being invited by the Government.
Khan, whose visit was not announced to the media, appeared before the public television VTV to communicate the progress in the relationship with Venezuelasince last November decided to open an investigation to the Caribbean country to assess whether crimes against humanity occurredas denounced by the opposition and various organizations.
“Over these last three days (…) the parties have agreed, Mr. President, that my Prosecutor’s Office will be able to open an office here in CaracasIt is a very important step, very significant, it is not something for the gallery, it is something concrete that will allow me to fulfill the responsibilities in accordance with the Rome Statute and commit myself with the Venezuelan authorities here,” said Khan.
During the meetings with Maduro and other government authorities, It was also agreed to give continuity to the work meetings between the parties, a fact that the prosecutor considered “important” for having “achieved a consensus, in the sense that the Office of the Prosecutor will be able to work with international organizations and with associates, collaborating with the support of Venezuela”.
For his part, Maduro pointed out that with the opening of the office in Venezuela it will be possible to have an “effective level of dialoguein real time, more efficient and a level of technical assistance that allows the November memorandum of understanding to run its course”.
The president also assured that the country is in a process of “deep reform” which he called “revolution of justice”, to carry out all the necessary modifications.
“Now we are in a process of profound reformI have called it the revolution of justice, changing everything that has to be changed, in laws, in working methods, in the functioning of institutions, this process has taken place in Venezuela from a social dialogueinstitutional, political and is beginning to show important results,” explained the head of state.
The ICC began last November a formal investigation into Venezuela, after the preliminary examination carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office of the high court detected indications that in the Caribbean country could have committed crimes and human rights violations.
