Thu Sep 19 10:27:00 UTC 2024: ## Venezuela Issues Arrest Warrants for Argentine President Milei and Officials

**Caracas, September 19th, 2024:** Venezuela’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has issued arrest warrants for Argentine President Javier Milei, his sister and Presidential Secretary Karina Milei, and Security Minister Patricia Bullrich. The warrants stem from an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity and the “theft” of a Venezuelan state-owned airplane that was handed over to the United States.

The move comes in response to the Argentine government’s request to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for alleged human rights abuses following the controversial July 28 elections.

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab accuses Milei and his aides of seven crimes related to the Boeing 747-300 aircraft seized in Buenos Aires. He claims the plane was “totally dismantled” in the United States and that the charges against the Argentine officials include “aggravated robbery, legitimization of capital, illegitimate deprivation of freedom, simulation of a punishable act, illicit interference, disabling of an aircraft and association to commit a crime.”

Saab further accused Milei of being a “fascist” and “neo-Nazi” who represents a “brutal danger for the whole hemisphere.” He also announced the appointment of a “specialized prosecutor for the protection of human rights to carry out investigations” against Milei and Bullrich for “actions committed against the Argentine people.”

The Argentine government has strongly repudiated the arrest warrants, calling them a violation of the country’s judicial independence. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry emphasized that the case was resolved by Argentina’s independent judiciary in accordance with international agreements.

This latest development further escalates tensions between the two South American nations, highlighting the ongoing political and legal disputes surrounding the recent Venezuelan elections and the fate of the seized aircraft.

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