Venezuela: EU must back calls for the ICC to investigate Maduro’s regime for crimes against humanity

MEPs adopted today in plenary a resolution on the situation in Venezuela condemning the crimes committed by the Venezuelan authorities and calling for an immediate independent investigation in the case of Fernando Albán, who died while being in custody of Venezuela’s intelligence police.

ALDE MEP, Dita Charanzová (ANO, Czech Republic), Member of the Delegation for relations with Mercosur, who negotiated the text of the resolution on behalf of our Group, said the targeted sanctions imposed by the EU should be extended in order to become effective:

“We do not need more proof of the Venezuelans suffering to justify more action. The EU has the responsibility to use all diplomatic and peaceful means to protect the Venezuelan population, and these have not yet been close to exhausted.

If we want our targeted sanctions to be effective, we need to extend these to include family members and the state owned oil company.

If we want to coordinate on the international level to solve the crisis, a first meaningful step is for the EU and its member states to back the call of other countries for the International Criminal Court to investigate crimes against humanity in Venezuela.

We need to act now before it is too late. Venezuela needs Europe more than ever.”

ALDE MEP, Beatriz Becerra (Independent, Spain), Vice President of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, added:

“By approving this resolution from the Parliament, we are supporting Juncker’s statements so that the EU can denounce Maduro’s regime before the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity. Criminals cannot get away unpunished, they have to respond to international justice.”

The EU must maintain its position until the conditions approved by this Parliament are achieved: release of all political prisoners, to allow unimpeded humanitarian aid into the country, full restitution of the Constitution and legitimate institutions, and call for transparent and inclusive elections.”

MEP Javier Nart (Ciudadanos, Spain), Vice President of the ALDE Group, concluded:

“Venezuela needs the European Union’s support and a firm,consistent approach from European countries now more than ever, before the brutal repression and the extreme misery of its chavo-madurista regime further devastates one of the highest oil income countries in the world. Liberals and Democrats would have preferred a harsher resolution today, as initially proposed by our group.”

MEPs also condemn the use of arbitrary detention and judicial and administrative harassment to persecute thousands of human rights defenders, elected members of the opposition and independent civil society organisations. The Venezuelan authorities must halt all human rights violations and hold those responsible accountable.

More info: lucian.goleanu@europarl.europa.eu