Argentina court orders arrest of Venezuela's Maduro in a tit-for-tat move

Courts inArgentinaand Venezuela issued warrants for the arrests of each other's presidents on Monday amid a showdown between "anarcho-capitalist" leader Javier Milei and socialist strongman Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela was first off the mark with its warrant forArgentina's Milei over what it called the "theft" of a Venezuelan plane seized in Buenos Aires for alleged sanctions violations.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

A court in Caracas also issued warrants forArgentina's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich and Karina Milei, the president's sister and presidential advisor.

In a tit-for-tat measure hours later, anArgentinecourt ordered the arrest of Venezuela's Maduro and dozens of aides for crimes against humanity.

Significantly, the court also asked international police organisation Interpol to issue a red notice for their capture, local media reported.

The federal court in Buenos Aires accused Venezuela's leaders of organising the kidnap and torture of Venezuelan citizens, the reports added.

The court invoked the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows countries to prosecute certain serious crimes regardless of where they took place.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello is among those sought.

Watch |Venezuela: 'US plot to destabilise Maduro government'

Polar opposites

Venezuela has repeatedly locked horns withArgentina, where Milei, a vocal critic of Maduro-style socialism, took office last December.

Argentinawas among dozens of countries not to recognise Maduro's claim of reelection victory in a July 28 vote which the opposition said it can prove he stole.

Argentina-- whose embassy in Caracas is sheltering Venezuelan opposition officials -- was among seven Latin American countries with which Caracas severed ties after the election.

The arrest warrant issued by Venezuela for Milei relates to a cargo plane owned by Venezuelan company Emtrasur, which was seized after landing inArgentinain June 2022, before Milei took office.

AnArgentinejudge then granted a request for the United States to seize the plane on grounds that laws were broken when Iran sold it to Venezuela. Both countries are under US sanctions.

Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice on Monday accused Milei of aggravated robbery, unlawful detention and "unlawful interference with the operational safety of civil aviation."

The arrest warrant was seen as largely symbolic, as it is unlikely Milei will set foot in Venezuela, which is the only country where the warrant applies.

Maduro's regime has lashed out repeatedly over the past week at its critics, notably accusing the United States of plotting to overthrow late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez's handpicked successor.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.