link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/icc-open-office-venezuela-prosecutor-says-2022-03-31/
International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said that the ICC will open an office in Venezuela. This was announced after the end of a three day trip to the capital, Caracas. The ICC is investigating human rights violations by officials. Khan last visited in November, and announced that he would open an investigation into possible crimes against humanity allegedly committed since 2017 by officials in Maduro’s government. Khan said, “the ICC prosecutor can open an office in Caracas. It is a very important, very significant step.” The United Nations said that Venezuela’s judicial system has perpetuated human rights violations and violence in efforts to quash opposition to Maduro. There are potential judicial reforms but opposition groups argue that the reforms being implemented are not enough to change the justice system.
The human rights violations that they are talking about are allegations of excessive force, arbitrary detention and torture by security forces during a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2017. It is crucial that these actions are punished because there has to be an end to corrupt voting, and the protection of what many see as a basic human right, freedom of speech. Though it could be a while before any criminal charges are presented by the ICC, it is important that they do so in a timely manner to encourage reforms. Khan has also said that they will not only provide technical assistance to support an effective investigation and prosecution, but also offer advice and training to help implement domestic legislation. It is unclear how this will go, as it will require strong cooperation from Venezuela, but it could be the basis of improved partnerships.
The International Criminal Court. For the ICC to work, it requires cooperation from countries with signing a treaty and abiding by the rulings, as there is no true international police that could enforce these rules without fail. The Countries that are more powerful often don’t follow ICC, but other countries have pressure to do so, because they are not global powers. If countries, like Venezuela, were to fail to cooperate with the ICC, they would have to deal with pressure from the international community, which is the incentive for cooperation with the ICC. The ICC involvement in Venezuela for the human rights violations will be positive, because justice can be reached if the criminals are charged and . Aside from the potential outcome of a ruling, the ICC involvement has already brought more attention to the problem in Venezuela, and will hopefully result in the implementation of a better, more just legislation.