Argentine Appeal Court Orders Continued Probe — An Argentine appeals court has ordered judges to pursue investigations into alleged crimes against humanity by members of Venezuela’s National Guard, invoking universal jurisdiction. The case centers on 14 officers accused of abuses during the 2014 protest crackdown; Argentina opened the probe in 2023 after testimony from survivors and victims' families. Advocates say Argentina’s post-dictatorship legal experience makes it a crucial venue for accountability while domestic avenues in Venezuela remain constrained.
Argentine Court Orders Probe to Continue Into Alleged Venezuelan Crimes, Giving Victims New Hope
Maria Alexandra Gomez, girlfriend of detained Argentine officer Nahuel Agustin Gallo, stands with their son Victor during a gathering of friends and relatives of people detained in Venezuela at a community center where they wait for news of their loved ones' release in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after Venezuelan authorities said the they would release Venezuelan and foreign prisoners. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
BUENOS AIRES — An Argentine federal appeals court this week ordered judges to press ahead with investigations into alleged crimes against humanity by members of Venezuela’s National Guard, rejecting an appeal by a former commander who argued Argentina lacked jurisdiction.
The ruling invokes the doctrine of universal jurisdiction, which allows national courts to investigate and prosecute certain grave human-rights violations regardless of where they occurred or the suspects' nationality, according to a copy of the decision obtained by The Associated Press.
Venezuelans celebrate at the Obelisk in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that President Nicolas Maduro had been captured and flown out of Venezuela. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
What the Court Decided
Judges rejected requests from former National Guard commander Justo José Noguera Pietri to dismiss the case and lift an outstanding arrest warrant. The court cited the “extreme gravity” of the alleged crimes and ordered Argentina’s judiciary to continue the investigation into alleged abuses tied to the 2014 crackdown on anti-government protests.
The Case and Its Origins
Argentine prosecutors opened the probe in 2023 after former detainees and relatives of protesters traveled to Buenos Aires to give testimony. The criminal complaint names 14 National Guard officers accused of arresting, torturing and killing suspected dissidents during the 2014 unrest.
Riot police arrive to El Helicoide, the headquarters of Venezuela's intelligence service and detention center, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the government would release Venezuelan and foreign prisoners. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“We cannot lose our focus at this moment,” said Ignacio Jovtis, director for Latin America at InterJust, which represents three Venezuelan plaintiffs. “Victims in Venezuela are still waiting for truth and reparation.”
Why Argentina?
Experts point to Argentina’s experience confronting human-rights abuses from its own 1976–1983 dictatorship. The country has prosecuted hundreds of former military officers and is one of a few jurisdictions whose laws permit investigation of crimes against humanity committed abroad. That legal framework has made Buenos Aires a venue for transnational human-rights litigation, from accusations linked to Spain’s Franco era to alleged atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
Voices From Venezuela and the Region
Advocates say foreign judicial processes now offer the most realistic path to accountability given the limits of domestic avenues and the slow pace of international institutions such as the International Criminal Court.
Argentine's President Javier Milei arrives at Oslo City Hall before the award ceremony of the Nobel Peace Prize, in Oslo, Norway, Wednesday Dec. 10, 2025. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“For us, this is not a symbolic investigation,” Jovtis said. “We want the perpetrators to go before an Argentine judge and be tried here.”
Journalist Luis Carlos Díaz, briefly detained in 2019, said the Argentine case gives him concrete hope. “That’s why it’s essential that other countries keep judicial processes open for Venezuela,” he said. “If we had to wait for the dictatorship to fall before seeking justice, many of us would die first.”
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado smiles during a press conference at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Heiko Junge/NTB Scanpix via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Political Context
The court decision arrived amid regional political turbulence and heated diplomatic debate over how to respond to developments in Venezuela. Argentine President Javier Milei and other regional leaders have taken high-profile stances that reflect sharp divisions over policy and priorities. U.S. and Argentine officials have also emphasized security cooperation in conversations about the region.
Observers warn that, regardless of political signals, the underlying repressive tools inside Venezuela — including paramilitary groups and intelligence services — remain a threat to civilians and to those seeking justice.
What Comes Next
The Argentine judiciary will continue its inquiries, and prosecutors may seek extradition or international cooperation depending on developments. A separate case recently filed in Argentina targets higher-level Venezuelan officials, and an Argentine judge has requested extradition of those defendants.
As the legal process advances in Buenos Aires, victims and human-rights groups say keeping judicial channels open abroad is essential to preserving hope for truth, accountability and reparation.
Associated Press writer Sergio Farella contributed to this report.
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