Plaintiffs ask court in Argentina to seek Maduro’s extradition

Plaintiffs in a case involving crimes against humanity have asked an Argentine federal court to seek the extradition of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to the country.

The request was made in a court filing seen by the AFP and Noticias Argentinas news agencies.

In September 2024, Argentina’s Federal Appeals Court ordered the international arrest of Maduro, Venezuela’s then-president, for extradition purposes, so he could be questioned as part of an investigation into crimes against humanity under the principle of “universal jurisdiction.”

Argentine NGOs representing Venezuelan plaintiffs in the case on Sunday requested that the court “seek the immediate extradition of Nicolás Maduro Moros” to Argentina, following news of his capture in Caracas by United States forces.

The request is grounded in Article 118 of Argentina’s Constitution, which allows crimes that affect humanity as a whole to be tried by domestic courts regardless of where they were committed.

Venezuela’s ousted president is due to appear before a New York judge at noon on Monday to face accusations of drug-trafficking and terrorism. 

The extradition bid comes amid diplomatic complexity, as Maduro remains under the custody of United States authorities.

The arrest warrants sought by an Argentine judge against Maduro stem from two complaints filed by the George and Amal Clooney Foundation (CFJ, in English) and, separately, the Foro Argentino por la Defensa de la Democracia (“Argentine Forum for the Defence of Democracy,” FADD).

In 2023, the two legal organisations separately accused the Venezuelan government before Argentine courts of human rights violations, citing the principle of universal jurisdiction. Both actions were later merged into a single case.

Argentina’s justice system has determined the existence of “a systematic plan of repression, forced disappearance of persons, torture, killings and persecution against a segment of the civilian population, carried out – at the very least – from 2014 to the present” and issued arrest warrants to question Maduro and Venezuelan Interior & Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello.

Plaintiffs said the aim of the extradition request was to ensure Maduro answers “for the grave crimes committed against the Venezuelan people.”

– TIMES/AFP/NA