The detention of Nicolás Maduro as part of a U.S. operation has triggered a legal offensive in the courts of Comodoro Py, as representatives of victims and civil organizations have formally requested Federal Judge Sebastián Ramos to initiate extradition proceedings so that the former head of state can be tried in Argentina. According to the Argentine News Agency, the filing, led by lawyers Tomás Farini Duggan and Waldo Wolff (on behalf of FADER and direct victims), is based on Article 118 of the National Constitution. Currently, Maduro is in custody in the Southern District of New York, where he faces charges of drug trafficking and terrorism. "We request the immediate extradition of the accused so that he can account for the serious crimes committed against the Venezuelan people," the complainants stated in the document submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For Maduro to appear in an Argentine courtroom, the following steps must be taken: Activation of the request: Judge Ramos must formalize the request through the Ministry of Foreign Relations. International Cooperation: The Argentine government will have to negotiate with the Trump administration the order of priority for judicial processes, given that the U.S. has physical custody of the detainee. The goal of the complainants is to prevent crimes against humanity from being overshadowed by drug-related cases, ensuring that the right to truth for Venezuelan victims is the central axis of the judicial process. The case investigates a systematic plan of forced disappearances, torture, rape, and executions against the civilian population of Venezuela. The Argentine justice system's request comes at a time of diplomatic complexity. This principle allows crimes affecting humanity as a whole to be tried in any country, regardless of where they were committed. In this way, following the capture of the Venezuelan leader by U.S. forces, the complainants in the case of crimes against humanity in Argentina requested the immediate transfer of the accused. They invoke the principle of universal jurisdiction to hold him accountable for systematic torture and disappearances. Regarding precedents, in September 2024, the Federal Chamber had already ordered an international arrest warrant for Maduro for extradition purposes.
