Venezuela’s ICC Exit Draws UN Scrutiny as Accountability Fears Mount
A United Nations fact-finding body on Monday voiced alarm over Venezuela’s abrupt withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, urging the South American nation to reverse course and warning that the decision threatens to undermine long-sought accountability for years of alleged atrocities.
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, established by the Human Rights Council in 2019, said the “irrevocable” exit announced by Caracas on Friday is designed to shield officials from international scrutiny. The mission condemned the move as “a grave step backward” and called on Venezuelan authorities to rejoin the court and cooperate fully with global justice mechanisms.
“The withdrawal serves only to reinforce impunity for human rights violations,” the mission said in a statement, noting that Venezuela has taken no meaningful action to investigate gross violations and international crimes committed over more than a decade.
The Venezuelan government, now led by interim President Delcy Rodríguez, justified the decision by alleging a “geographical bias” inside the ICC. Rodríguez, a close ally of the Trump administration, has signaled a sharp pivot in Caracas’s foreign policy. The United States on Friday welcomed the withdrawal, calling the ICC “corrupt” and “worthless,” a position that aligns with Washington’s broader push to dismantle the court.
The departure marks the latest chapter in a fraught relationship between Venezuela and international justice institutions. In 2020, the ICC found a reasonable basis to believe that civilian officials, members of the armed forces, and pro-government individuals had committed crimes against humanity in Venezuela since at least 2017. But in January 2025, the court closed its office in Caracas, citing a lack of cooperation from the then-Maduro administration.
Human rights advocates warn that Venezuela’s exit not only stalls pending investigations but also emboldens other governments that have threatened to leave the ICC. The mission’s appeal underscores the widening gap between Caracas and the international community over rule-of-law commitments, even as Venezuela’s new leadership seeks closer ties with Washington.