Venezuela will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the tribunal’s perceived bias, the nation’s foreign minister has said.
The announcement comes amid an ongoing ICC investigation into alleged crimes under captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Caracas had informed the United Nations of its “firm and irrevocable decision” to withdraw from the ICC, Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia wrote on X.
Interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, who took over after US forces ousted Maduro in January, had instructed the move, he added.
“Venezuela considers that the Court’s actions reflect a demonstrated geographical bias, which has disproportionately concentrated its work on African and Latin American countries,” Plasencia said.
The Hague-based court said it had not yet received a 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 stated, adding it takes one year for official withdrawal from the court to take effect.
Even after that, “the withdrawing State remains bound by obligations that arose whilst it was a State Party,” the statement cautioned.
“Withdrawal does not affect any pre-existing cooperation obligations arising from criminal investigations or proceedings that had commenced” previously, it added.
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