BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – The Argentine government said on Thursday it had filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court against Venezuela over its detention of a member of the Gendarmerie, a branch of the Argentine security forces, calling it an “enforced disappearance.”
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil rejected the complaint submitted to the International Criminal Court, describing it as a “sad scene” in a post on the Telegram application.
Tensions between the two South American countries have been rising since Javier Miley, a far-right liberal, assumed Argentina's presidency in late 2023. Relations deteriorated after Venezuela's disputed presidential election in July, in which current socialist President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory.
Last month, Argentina accused Caracas of detaining Nahuel Gallo, a member of the gendarmerie, after he attempted to enter Venezuela from a crossing in Colombia to visit his family. They demanded his immediate release.
“He has not disappeared,” Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab said in a letter to Reuters on Thursday. “He is being detained and being tried before the competent court.”
Venezuelan prosecutors said Gallo was being investigated over his alleged links to a group seeking to carry out destabilizing and “terrorist” actions.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “The Argentine government will continue to use all legal and diplomatic resources to guarantee the rights of its citizen, Nahuel Gallo.”
