The Plenary of the National Assembly (AN) approved this Thursday, with a qualified majority, an Agreement in Support of the Understanding Memorandum between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Court (ICC), signed in Caracas last Wednesday.
Through the document, the AN urges the organs of the Justice System to redouble their efforts to investigate and punish the facts that could constitute serious violations of Human Rights, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic Venezuela and international treaties.
The agreement establishes the full disposition of the National Parliament to undertake the reforms and measures necessary to strengthen the respect and guarantee of human rights in the country, as well as to contribute to the proper functioning of the justice system.
Arguments:
Deputy Saúl Ortega stated that the Understanding Memorandum ratifies the democratic will of the State in the strong defense of justice and human rights. He stressed that Venezuela is one of the signatory countries of the Rome Statute, unlike the United States, which is one of the nations behind the campaigns against the Bolivarian nation.
In his opinion, it is a contradiction that the aforementioned nation does not sign the statute when they are the main accusers of Venezuela and are linked to the subversive actions in the country, the guarimbas (riots), the burning of people, the placement of trip wires in the city roads to kill motorists, They are behind the assassination and coup d’etat attempts.
Deputy Julio Chávez took the floor, describing the signed memorandum as an act of courage and ratification of Venezuela’s democracy, as well as recognition of the Government of President Nicolás Maduro. While the opposition parliamentarian Oscar Ronderos indicated that the country is not granting any space to international jurisdiction.
Deputy Ilenia Medina explained that the Head of State was the one who authorized the invitation to the ICC prosecutor, Karim A.A. Khan. She recalled that when a delegate from Venezuela assumed the presidency of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the only one who acknowledged that the State should be raided for crimes against humanity was President Hugo Chávez Frías.
She criticized the cynicism of opposition sectors and specified that the ICC has complementary functions, it does not replace the national system and will be accompanied in its investigation by the Venezuelan Public Ministry. She expressed her enthusiasm because the crimes of Henrique Capriles were finally going to be investigated, of when he made a public call “to vent anger out”; as well as Leopoldo López, and Luisa Ortega Díaz for hiding crimes; and to the national and international media for spreading false news.
Also intervened the highest authority of the Legislature, Deputy Jorge Rodríguez, informing that he exposed to the ICC prosecutor the murder of Orlando Figuera, who was burned alive. He said that it is a shame that Spain, the cradle of humanism, is sheltering the murderer of this Venezuelan (killed) because of his skin color.
Finally, he stressed that the United States is not a signatory to the Rome Statute because the day they finally sign it, all the living presidents of that country will be apprehended due to the brutal human rights violations committed throughout the planet. The parliamentarian read and explained each consideration of the agreement. In that sense, he questioned former prosecutor Luisa Ortega for hiding the crimes of the extreme right wing, (and stated that she) did not act because she was part of that crime plot.
