International

Argentine prosecutor opens case for crimes against humanity in Venezuela

July 13 |

An Argentine prosecutor charged Venezuelan military officers who served as high commanders of the Bolivarian National Guard during the 2014 street protests with alleged crimes against humanity against opponents of the government of Nicolás Maduro.

The measure was ordered by federal prosecutor Carlos Stornelli, who resolved to push forward a criminal action “as allegedly responsible to, at least at the time, Major General Juan José Noguera Pietri, commander of the Bolivarian National Guard and Major General José Dionisio Goncálvez Mendoza, commander of the People’s Guard,” according to the provision released on Wednesday.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague reopened an investigation also for crimes against humanity for what happened during the demonstrations nine years ago.

The Argentine prosecutor also asked the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to send “copies of the reports of the international missions sent to Venezuela and all actions related to the dead demonstrators”.

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The official of the Attorney General’s Office charged a dozen military officers of different ranks, including brigadier generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels and sergeants of the Carabobo and Tocuyito detachments.

Stornelli’s ruling, to which AP had access, was based on a complaint filed by the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ), taking into account Argentina’s human rights jurisprudence.

This organization represents the families of two Venezuelan protesters killed nearly a decade ago.

The refusal of the Venezuelan justice system to investigate the leaders of the Bolivarian National Guard (only junior officers were tried as perpetrators) led the Clooney Foundation to bring a legal case before the Argentine courts, which have relied on the principle of universal jurisdiction to try crimes against humanity committed outside its territory.

It states that “the organized attack against the civilian population between February and May 2014 responded to a policy of the Venezuelan State” and that the murders of at least 25 demonstrators at the hands of security forces or collectives were part of a “systematic plan” of repression against opponents.

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The complainants, based on the Rome Statute governing the International Criminal Court, argue that “the military commander shall be criminally responsible for crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court committed by forces under his command.”

In his ruling, Stornelli requested a series of measures that must be previously endorsed by a federal judge, among them the release of exhortations to the Venezuelan justice system to send copies of the judicial proceedings and to the hospitals where the victims were assisted in order to access medical records, a list of the professionals who attended them and death certificates.

International

Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka

Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.

The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.

An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.

The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.

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Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.

Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.

Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.

Internacionales

Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages

May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.

In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.

Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.

International

Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.

During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.

“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.

“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”

Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.

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On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.