A prosecutor in Argentina has launched an investigation into potential crimes against humanity in Venezuela following a criminal complaint filed by the Clooney Foundation for Justice.
Federal prosecutor Carlos Stornelli noted that the complaint pointed to the responsibility of several high-ranking members of the Venezuelan National Guard in human rights abuses during 2014 street protests against the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
The move by the foundation set up by actor George Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, marks the latest effort to use Argentina’s legal system and the principle of universal jurisdiction to prosecute crimes against humanity committed elsewhere.
The Clooney Foundation for Justice represents the families of two Venezuelans killed during the 2014 protests in which dozens of people died.
A United Nations factfinding mission to Venezuela concluded in 2022 crimes against humanity were carried out in Venezuela. The issue is also being investigated by the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
Read more here.
