Argentine authorities have initiated an inquiry into potential crimes against humanity committed in Venezuela. This action follows a formal complaint lodged by the Clooney Foundation for Justice, an organization founded by renowned actor George Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. The complaint centers around alleged human rights abuses perpetrated by high-ranking members of the Venezuelan National Guard during the 2014 anti-government protests.
This legal action leverages Argentina's acceptance of the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows its courts to investigate atrocities committed in other countries. This principle has been previously applied in Argentina for cases involving Spain and Myanmar, making it a suitable venue for the Clooney Foundation's complaint.
The Foundation represents the families of two Venezuelan citizens who lost their lives during the 2014 protests, which resulted in numerous fatalities. At the time of the filing, Ignacio Jovtis, a senior program manager at the Clooney Foundation for Justice, emphasized that these cases highlight a broader concern regarding systematic human rights violations involving a clear chain of command.
The Foundation argues that the manner in which the two victims were killed suggests a systematic plan of violence against protestors. This plan, they contend, involved a complete lack of investigative and accountability procedures within the Venezuelan National Guard's leadership. Federal prosecutor Carlos Stornelli has outlined several investigative steps in his writ, including requests for judicial proceedings and medical records from Venezuelan authorities, as well as documentation from international bodies like the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the International Criminal Court.
This investigation coincides with ongoing scrutiny of human rights violations in Venezuela by the International Criminal Court. A 2022 United Nations fact-finding mission also concluded that crimes against humanity had occurred in the country. This Argentinian inquiry adds another layer to the international efforts to hold those responsible for these alleged crimes accountable.
