What drove Venezuela’s decision to leave the ICC?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia said the country has formally notified the United Nations that it is withdrawing from the Rome Statute, the treaty behind the International Criminal Court. Plasencia said the move was ordered by Interim President Delcy Rodriguez and described it as final, while accusing the ICC of geographic bias against Africa and Latin America. The ICC told Al Jazeera it had not yet received the notice through the UN treaty office.

The court said any withdrawal would take effect one year after notification and would not halt existing investigations or cases already before it. That means the ICC’s investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela can continue. Al Jazeera notes the investigation began in 2021 after prosecutors said there was a reasonable basis to examine alleged abuses by security forces and pro-government groups during a crackdown on protests that started in 2017.

Analysts cited by Al Jazeera said the withdrawal is significant even if it does not legally end the case, because the ICC depends heavily on state cooperation to gather evidence, obtain access and enforce decisions. Laura Dib of the Washington Office on Latin America said victims who submitted testimony may see the move as another setback after years of frustration over the slow pace of accountability efforts.

The decision also comes amid growing US hostility toward the ICC under President Donald Trump. Al Jazeera reports Washington welcomed Venezuela’s announcement and urged other member states to leave. The article frames the move as part of a broader shift in Caracas’s foreign policy under Rodriguez, drawing Venezuela closer to Washington while adding pressure on an international court already facing withdrawals, criticism and internal turmoil.