The Venezuelan regime's prosecutor announces an arrest warrant for Milei and other members of the Argentine government for the 'robbery' of Maduro's airplane

On Wednesday, the attorney general of the Chavista regime, Tarek William Saab, announced the opening of two investigations against the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, and several high-ranking officials of his government. The investigations focus on the seizure of a Venezuelan-Iranian plane belonging to the Emtrasur company, and on alleged human rights violations committed in Argentine territory.

Investigations and arrest warrants

Attorney General Tarek William Saab confirmed that arrest warrants were issued against Javier Milei, his sister Karina Milei, Secretary General of the Presidency, and Argentina's Security Minister, Patricia Bullrich. They are accused of crimes such as aggravated robbery, money laundering and unlawful deprivation of liberty, among others, related to the seizure of the Emtrasur plane. However, the seizure of the plane occurred in 2022, under the previous administration of Alberto Fernández, in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Justice for violating sanctions imposed on Iranian airline Mahan Air and the Maduro regime.

Allegations of human rights violations

In addition to the investigation for the airplane, Saab informed about a second investigation against Milei and Bullrich, for alleged human rights violations, crimes against humanity and genocide in Argentina. Saab stated that this complaint is based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows a country to investigate and judge serious crimes committed in other nations.

Context in Argentina

Saab made his announcement one day after a hearing at the Comodoro Py Courts in Argentina. In that session, both Venezuelan victims and the Argentine Forum for the Defense of Democracy (FADD) requested the Federal Justice to issue arrest warrants against Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking officials of the Chavista regime, within the context of an investigation for crimes against humanity committed in Venezuela.

Tomás Farini Duggan, a lawyer for the FADD, urged the Argentine judges to proceed with the arrest of Maduro, Diosdado Cabello and other leaders of the Venezuelan security forces. Farini Duggan argued that Argentina has a unique opportunity to act against what he considers the most repressive dictatorship in recent Latin American history.