The International Criminal Court (ICC) headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands. Photo: UN News/file photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Friday, the Venezuelan government officially notified United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres of its firm and irrevocable decision to condemn the Rome Statute and initiate the country’s definitive withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Foreign Affairs Minister Félix Plasencia announced the exit under instructions from Acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
The withdrawal process is being conducted in accordance with Article 127 of the Rome Statute, which governs the procedure for a state party to exit the tribunal’s jurisdiction. Through this measure, Caracas is formally challenging the court’s fundamental integrity and performance.
Por instrucciones de la presidenta encargada @delcyrodriguezv, Venezuela comunicó al secretario general de la ONU,@antonioguterres, su decisión firme e irrevocable de denunciar el Estatuto de Roma e iniciar su retiro definitivo de la CPI, conforme al Artículo 127.
Venezuela…
— Félix Plasencia González (@plasenciafelixr) July 24, 2026
For years, Venezuela has maintained that the tribunal operates with systemic geographical bias, disproportionately targeting nations in Africa and Latin America. This bias, Caracas warns, works to the detriment of the Global South and undermines the principle of legal equality that originally led to the court’s creation.
The Venezuelan government stated that this structural imbalance reveals an international judicial apparatus that has abandoned equity as its guiding principle. Plasencia asserted that ICC mechanisms have instead been weaponized to deepen inequalities between sovereign nations and infringe upon their right to self-determination.
The foreign minister emphasized that this pattern is not a procedural coincidence, but rather reflects an institution that has placed its authority at the service of political interests alien to justice and the protection of sovereign peoples.
Venezuela first took official legislative steps to withdraw from the ICC on December 4, 2025, when the National Assembly approved the repeal of the Rome Statute in its first reading.
Subsequently, the legislative process was finalized on December 11, 2025, when Parliament unanimously passed the Law for Palestine and Humanity and approved Law Repealing the Rome Statute in its second reading, formally opening the path to sever ties with the tribunal.
The statement issued by Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia reads as follows:
Following instructions from Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela communicated to UN Secretary-General António Guterres its firm and irrevocable decision to condemn the Rome Statute and initiate its definitive withdrawal from the ICC, in accordance with Article 127.
Venezuela considers that the Court’s actions reflect a demonstrated geographical bias, which has disproportionately concentrated its work in African and Latin American countries, to the detriment of the Global South. This pattern reveals an international justice system that, far from being applied equitably, has been instrumentalized to deepen inequalities among peoples and disregard their right to self-determination and sovereignty.
This bias is not a mere procedural coincidence, but the reflection of an institution that has placed its mechanisms at the service of interests alien to justice and the peoples it claims to protect. For this reason, we reject this dimension of lawfare, which perpetuates the persecution against the Venezuelan people and exacerbates the inequalities that international justice should correct. We reiterate our commitment to a genuinely equitable justice, respectful of the sovereignty and self-determination of peoples.
Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan dismissed
Also on Friday, at UN Headquarters in New York, the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties—comprising 125 member countries—voted to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, marking an unprecedented decision in the court’s history.
The removal resolution passed with 82 votes in favor, 13 against, and 15 abstentions, surpassing the required majority threshold.
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Khan, a British barrister who assumed the role of chief prosecutor in 2021, consistently denied all allegations of inappropriate behavior. He previously asserted that the misconduct allegations were leveraged as part of a campaign to remove him following his May 2024 application for arrest warrants against “Israel” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“Israel” Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon celebrated Khan’s removal, writing on social media that “the prosecutor thought his political witch hunt against Israel and his outrageous arrest warrants would distract from the serious allegations of sexual misconduct, but he was wrong.”
The dismissal of the chief prosecutor does not automatically halt ongoing proceedings or investigations managed by the Office of the Prosecutor, including the investigation into Zionist war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian population. The investigation will continue under the court’s established rules.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SF
