Domestic implementation of international criminal law
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Domestic Legislation | Resources and Links
Crimes Crime of Aggression
No specific provision.
Crimes Against Humanity
Crimes against humanity are not specifically defined in the domestic legislation of Venezuela, although Title III (Duties, Human Rights and Guarantees), Chapter I (General Provisions), Article 29 of the 1999 Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela states the following:
"Article 29
Original version in Spanish:
The State is obliged to investigate and legally punish crimes against human rights committed by its authorities.
Actions to sanction crimes against humanity, serious violations of human rights and war crimes shall not be subject to any statute of limitations. Human rights violations and crimes against humanity shall be investigated and prosecuted by the ordinary courts. These crimes are excluded from any benefit that might imply impunity, including pardon and amnesty."
[Translation by Equipo Nizkor. Please note that several English translations have been found in which the offense "delitos de lesa humanidad" (crimes against humanity) has been translated as "the offense of violating humanity rights".]"Artículo 29.
See:
El Estado estará obligado a investigar y sancionar legalmente los delitos contra los derechos humanos cometidos por sus autoridades.
Las acciones para sancionar los delitos de lesa humanidad, violaciones graves de los derechos humanos y los crímenes de guerra son imprescriptibles. Las violaciones de derechos humanos y los delitos de lesa humanidad serán investigados y juzgados por los tribunales ordinarios. Dichos delitos quedan excluidos de los beneficios que puedan conllevar su impunidad, incluidos el indulto y la amnistía."
Constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, 1999. (Incluye Enmienda Nº 1 aprobada por Referendo Constitucional el 15 de febrero de 2009). [Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, 1999 (Includes Amendment No. 1 aproved in the referendum held on 15 February 2009)].
Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Nº 5.908 Extraordinario, Caracas, 19 febrero 2009. [SPA]Genocide
No provision.
War Crimes
➤ Title III, Chapter II (Crimes Against International Law), Article 474 of the Organic Code of Military Justice (1998) includes a series of war crimes. See:
Código Orgánico de Justicia Militar, 1998. [Organic Code of Military Justice].
Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Nº 5.263 Extraordinario, Caracas, 17 septiembre 1998. [SPA]
➤ Additionally, Chapter III of the Criminal Code of Venezuela (2000), under Book II and Title I, is devoted to "Crimes against International Law". Article 156 (1) and (3) under the said Chapter punishes several war crimes:Article 156.- The following persons are subject to arrest in Fortaleza or Political Prison for a period of one to four years:
See:
1. - The Venezuelans or foreigners who, during a war of Venezuela against another Nation, break the truces or armistices or the principles observed by the civilized peoples in the war, as the respect due to the prisoners, to the noncombatants, to the White flag, parliamentarians, the Red Cross and other similar cases, without prejudice to the provisions of military laws, which will apply especially in everything they may order in this respect.
2. - The Venezuelans or foreigners who, with acts of hostility against one of the belligerents, committed within the geographical space of the Republic, break the neutrality of it in case of war between foreign nations.
3. - The Venezuelans or foreigners who violate the Conventions or Treaties entered into by the Republic, in a way that engages the responsibility of the Republic.
Código Penal de Venezuela, 2000. [Penal Code of Venezuela].
Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Nº 5.494 Extraordinario, Caracas, 20 octubre 2000. [SPA]
➤ Title III (Duties, Human Rights and Guarantees), Chapter I (General Provisions), Article 29 of the 1999 Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela states the following regarding war crimes:"Article 29
Original version in Spanish:
The State is obliged to investigate and legally punish crimes against human rights committed by its authorities.
Actions to sanction crimes against humanity, serious violations of human rights and war crimes shall not be subject to any statute of limitations. Human rights violations and crimes against humanity shall be investigated and prosecuted by the ordinary courts. These crimes are excluded from any benefit that might imply impunity, including pardon and amnesty."
[Translation by Equipo Nizkor. Please note that several English translations have been found in which the offense "delitos de lesa humanidad" (crimes against humanity) has been translated as "the offense of violating humanity rights".]"Artículo 29.
Related Documents:
El Estado estará obligado a investigar y sancionar legalmente los delitos contra los derechos humanos cometidos por sus autoridades.
Las acciones para sancionar los delitos de lesa humanidad, violaciones graves de los derechos humanos y los crímenes de guerra son imprescriptibles. Las violaciones de derechos humanos y los delitos de lesa humanidad serán investigados y juzgados por los tribunales ordinarios. Dichos delitos quedan excluidos de los beneficios que puedan conllevar su impunidad, incluidos el indulto y la amnistía."
Resolución por la cual se dicta el Reglamento de la Dirección de Derechos Humanos y de Derecho Internacional Humanitario. Resolución Nº DG-13571. [Resolution No. DG-13571 enacting the Regulations of the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Directorate of the Ministry of Defense].
Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Nº 36.534, Caracas, 08 septiembre 1998. [SPA]
Jurisdiction ➤ Article 29 of the 1999 Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela states the following regarding jurisdiction for crimes against humanity, war crimes and serious violations of human rights:
"Article 29
Additionally, Article 45 of the Constitution prohibits the enforced disappearance of persons and it states that the intellectual and physical perpetrators, accomplices and concealers of this crime shall be punished in accordance with the law. Venezuela is a signatory (21 october 2008) of the Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, but has not ratified it yet. However, the enforced disappearance of persons is also defined and punished in Article 181 A of the Penal Code, which provides that the criminal action derived from this crime and its penalty are not subject to any statute of limitations, and that those responsible for its commission may not enjoy any benefit, including pardon and amnesty.
The State is obliged to investigate and legally punish crimes against human rights committed by its authorities.
Actions to sanction crimes against humanity, serious violations of human rights and war crimes shall not be subject to any statute of limitations. Human rights violations and crimes against humanity shall be investigated and prosecuted by the ordinary courts. These crimes are excluded from any benefit that might imply impunity, including pardon and amnesty."
[Translation by Equipo Nizkor. Please note that several English translations have been found in which the offense "delitos de lesa humanidad" (crimes against humanity) has been translated as "the offense of violating humanity rights".]
Article 271 of the Constitution about the extradition procedure, states that the extradition of foreigners responsible, inter alia for crimes against human rights, shall not be denied. The same article provides that judicial proceedings aimed at punishing offenses against human rights cannot be barred by any statute of limitations and that, subject to court order, assets deriving from the activities relating to these offenses shall be confiscated. See:
Constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, 1999. (Incluye Enmienda Nº 1 aprobada por Referendo Constitucional el 15 de febrero de 2009). [Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, 1999 (Includes Amendment No. 1 aproved in the referendum held on 15 February 2009)].
Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Nº 5.908 Extraordinario, Caracas, 19 febrero 2009. [SPA]
➤ The jurisdictional regime of the Criminal Law of Venezuela is provided for under Articles 3 and 4 of its Penal Code. More particularly, criminal liability for crimes committed abroad, although apparently restricted to crimes committed on the high seas, is set out in Article 4.9 (The Venezuelans or foreigners who have come to the Republic and who, on the high seas, commit crimes that International Law qualifies as atrocious and against humanity by International Law qualifies as atrocious and against humanity are subject to prosecution in Venezuela except in those cases in which they have already been tried and served sentence for the same acts in another conuntry).
Finally, Articles 153-166 of the Penal Code, devoted to crimes against international law, provide for the jurisdiction over Venezuelans and foreigners in respect of the war crimes that they include. See:
Código Penal de Venezuela, 2000. [Penal Code of Venezuela].
Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Nº 5.494 Extraordinario, Caracas, 20 octubre 2000. [SPA]
International Criminal Court
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on 14 October 1998 and deposited its instrument of ratification on 07 June 2000.
Instrumento de Ratificación del Estatuto de Roma de la Corte Penal Internacional.
02 junio 2000. [SPA]
Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, 1999 (with amendments through 2009).
Comparative Constitutions Project, University of Texas at Austin. [ENG]. [Last accessed 05Mar18]. [External link to pdf file]
Constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela. Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Transporte y Comunicaciones. [SPA]. [Last accessed 05Mar18]. [External Link]
Código Penal de Venezuela. (Gaceta Oficial Nº 5.494 Extraordinario, 20 de octubre de 2000).
Organization of American States. [SPA]. [Last accessed 05Mar18]. [External Link to pdf document]
Código Orgánico Procesal Penal. (Decreto Nº 9.042 de 12 de junio de 2012).
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). [SPA]. [Last accessed 05Mar18]. [External Link to pdf document]
Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela.
Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Comunicación y la Información. [SPA]. [Last accessed 02Mar18]. [External Link]
Human Rights Reports.
Equipo Nizkor. [SPA]. [Last accessed 02Mar18].
International Humanitarian Law treaties to which Venezuela is a State Party.
International Committee of the Red Cross. [ENG]. [Last accessed 02Mar18]. [External Link]