Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab demanded that international justice act in coordination with Venezuelan institutions to sanction El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for the kidnapping and abuse of 252 Venezuelan migrants at the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot). During an interview on Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Saab denounced that these events should be investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Saab urged international organizations to speak out and collaborate with the Venezuelan Public Prosecutor’s Office to ensure that Bukele is punished and a precedent is set against other leaders who violate human rights. «It must have an impact on the International Criminal Court so that it is subject to a criminal investigation based on human rights,» affirmed the prosecutor.
The prosecutor also denounced that Cecot officials subjected Venezuelan migrants to physical and psychological torture, even inducing them to commit suicide: «What happened is very serious, extremely serious: systematic and constant torture, a plurality of crimes,» he asserted. To care for the victims, the Public Prosecutor’s Office deployed a team of 80 prosecutors, psychiatrists, and doctors, who conducted evaluations and interviews with those affected.
At another point, Saab denounced the kidnapping of 33 Venezuelan children by the government of the United States, calling it part of the «hybrid war» against Venezuela: «It is to alert these people that they are using every weapon available,» the prosecutor stated, reinforcing his stance against Washington’s actions.
Saab revealed that, since March 30, the Venezuelan Public Ministry attempted to establish communication with Salvadoran institutions such as the Supreme Court and the Attorney General’s Office, but the institutions responded 80 days later, justifying Bukele’s actions and questioning the migrants’ presence at the Cecot. This despite the Salvadoran president’s propaganda about the detention of the Venezuelans.
With these statements, the Venezuelan Attorney General seeks to pressure the international community to act against Bukele, while reinforcing his stance against the US and denouncing systematic human rights violations.