BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Courts in Argentina and Venezuela have escalated tensions by issuing arrest warrants for each other’s presidents.
Venezuela’s socialist government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, first issued a warrant for Argentina’s newly elected “anarcho-capitalist” president, Javier Milei, over the alleged theft of a Venezuelan plane seized in Buenos Aires in 2022 for violating sanctions.
Venezuela’s warrant also includes names of Argentina’s Security Minister Patricia Bullrich and Milei’s sister, Karina Milei, a presidential advisor.
In response, Argentina issued an arrest warrant for Maduro and several top aides, accusing them of crimes against humanity, including the kidnapping and torture of Venezuelan citizens. Argentina’s federal court has requested that Interpol issue a red notice for their capture, invoking the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing countries to prosecute serious crimes regardless of where they occurred.
The diplomatic fallout highlights the ideological differences between Milei, a fierce critic of Maduro’s socialist regime, and Venezuela.
The arrest warrant against Milei also stems from Argentina’s seizure of a Venezuelan Emtrasur cargo plane, which landed in Buenos Aires in 2022 and was tied to U.S. sanctions. Both countries remain at odds, with Milei’s anti-socialist stance further intensifying the conflict.
