Argentine federal judge Sebastian Ramos officially sent a request to the United States on Wednesday, February 4, for the extradition of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The former dictator, recently captured by the US military, is currently in a Brooklyn prison on drug terrorism charges, but Argentine justice insists on a trial for mass repression and torture. This is reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
The request is based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows Argentine courts to hear cases of genocide and crimes against humanity regardless of where they were committed. The lawsuit was filed in Buenos Aires back in 2023 by human rights organizations representing the interests of Venezuelans who have experienced arbitrary detentions, disappearances, and brutal torture by the special services of the Maduro regime.
This orders the urgent translation of the international request and the documentation attached to it
Activists of the Argentine Forum for the Defense of Democracy called this decision a historic milestone for the victims who dared to testify against the former Venezuelan leadership.
Legal obstacles and US position
Despite the legal weight of the request, its execution by the Trump administration seems unlikely. Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are key figures in a US federal case involving a conspiracy to import thousands of tons of cocaine over 25 years.
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American justice intends to primarily consider charges of cooperation with drug cartels, which entail strict prison sentences in the United States.
Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina is preparing a package of documents for transfer to the American side. Although extradition may be postponed until the completion of processes in New York, this step creates additional legal pressure on Maduro and confirms the inevitability of punishment for international crimes.