Venezuela tells UN it will leave the ICC, accusing the court of 'geographical bias' against Africa and Latin America
Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia notified the UN on Friday of an 'irrevocable' decision to denounce the Rome Statute, acting on orders from interim President Delcy Rodríguez, whose government has moved closer to Washington after the US captured Nicolás Maduro in January.
The withdrawal announcement
Venezuela's government formally notified the United Nations on Friday of its 'irrevocable' decision to denounce the Rome Statute and begin its definitive withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia relayed the decision on social media, acting on instructions from interim President Delcy Rodríguez. The notification was addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Venezuela considers that the Court's actions reflect a demonstrated geographical bias, which has disproportionately concentrated its work on African and Latin American countries, to the detriment of the Global South.
The path to withdrawal
The ICC launched a probe in 2021 into possible crimes against humanity over the violent suppression of anti-government protests in 2017 under former President Nicolás Maduro. Relations soured further when the court closed its Caracas office in late 2025 due to lack of cooperation, and the National Assembly voted in December 2025 to cancel its commitments under the Rome Statute.
- ICC opens probe into possible crimes against humanity from 2017 protest crackdown.
- ICC closes its Caracas office due to lack of cooperation.
- National Assembly votes to cancel obligations under the Rome Statute.
- US military captures former President Nicolás Maduro; Delcy Rodríguez becomes interim president.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declares campaign to 'systematically disable' the ICC.
- Venezuela notifies UN of final, irrevocable withdrawal from the ICC.
The Venezuelan government added that the pattern reveals an international justice system 'instrumentalised to deepen inequalities among peoples and disregard their right to self-determination and sovereignty'. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez had earlier called the court an instrument of 'American imperialism'.
A new, US-aligned government
Delcy Rodríguez assumed power after Maduro was captured by US forces on 3 January 2026, and her administration has drawn closer to Washington. The ICC withdrawal was announced one week after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared a campaign to 'systematically disable' the court.
It is waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles, but with statutes, compacts, and the force of so-called international law.
The US has sanctioned ICC prosecutors involved in investigations of American and Israeli forces, and the Trump administration has long sought to undermine the court.
What happens next
The ICC has not confirmed receipt of the official communication. Under the Rome Statute, a withdrawal takes effect one year after the UN receives notification, meaning Venezuela would remain subject to the court's jurisdiction until mid-2027. The move adds another layer to the ongoing friction between the Global South and an institution critics accuse of selective justice.
