Delcy Rodríguez accuses International Criminal Court of aggression against Venezuela

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of accumulating cases to attack countries in the "global south," including Venezuela. She reaffirmed the South American nation's firm decision to permanently withdraw from the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding treaty.

"We believe in true justice, but in its history, it has accumulated a record to attack the global south, the peoples of the south, including Venezuela," Rodríguez stated during a military promotion ceremony, broadcast on state television. She expressed a lack of faith in the institution, asserting that the international court has "attacked" Venezuela. "We believe in a relationship based on respect for international law," she added.

Earlier, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia announced the government's "firm and irrevocable" decision to renounce the Rome Statute. Caracas claims the ICC operates with a "bias," disproportionately focusing its work on African and Latin American countries and serving interests unrelated to international justice.

The ICC, however, expressed regret over Venezuela's decision, reminding Caracas that the withdrawal will only become effective one year after formal notification to the United Nations. During this period, Venezuela remains obligated to cooperate with existing investigations. The ICC noted that while adhering to or withdrawing from a treaty is a sovereign right, the withdrawal process has specific legal timelines. The court's investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela, opened in 2018, remains active.