Newsletters
Venezuela will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the tribunal of geographical bias and unequal treatment, Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia said Friday.
Plasencia said Venezuela had informed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of its “firm and irrevocable decision” to denounce the Rome Statute and begin withdrawing from the court under Article 127.
The move was ordered by interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, who took power after U.S. forces ousted President Nicolas Maduro in January, he said.
The announcement comes as the ICC continues investigating alleged crimes against humanity committed during crackdowns on protesters in Venezuela since 2014 under Maduro’s government.
Plasencia said the ICC had disproportionately focused its work on African and Latin American countries at the expense of the Global South.
“Venezuela considers that the Court’s actions reflect a demonstrated geographical bias,” he said.
He accused the international justice system of being used to deepen inequalities and disregard the sovereignty and right to self-determination of countries.
Plasencia described the court’s approach as a form of lawfare directed against the Venezuelan people.
He said Venezuela remained committed to a system of justice that was equitable and respected national sovereignty and self-determination.
The Hague-based court said it had not yet received formal notification of Venezuela’s withdrawal.
“We regret any decision to depart from the collective effort to end impunity for the most serious international crimes,” the ICC said.
The court said an official withdrawal would take one year to take effect.
Venezuela would remain bound by obligations that arose while it was a state party, the ICC added.
The withdrawal would also not affect existing cooperation obligations linked to criminal investigations or proceedings that had already begun.
The ICC is investigating allegations of crimes against humanity during Venezuelan government crackdowns on protesters since 2014.
In December 2025, Venezuela’s parliament began taking steps to repeal the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.
The move followed the court’s decision to close its Caracas office after what it described as unproductive discussions with the government.
In March, the ICC dismissed Venezuela’s complaints alleging that U.S. sanctions amounted to crimes against humanity.
Plasencia’s announcement came as ICC member states voted Friday to dismiss chief prosecutor Karim Khan over allegations of sexual assault.
Khan has denied the allegations, and his lawyers said he would challenge the decision.
In 2024, Khan successfully sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
After U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on the court and its judges.
Neither the U.S. nor Israel is a member of the ICC, which prosecutes individuals accused of serious international crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
