- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
ICC Prosecutor Clears U.S. in Venezuela Sanctions Case
The International Criminal Court found no crimes against humanity in U.S. sanctions against Venezuela.
Mar. 12, 2026 at 7:19pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor announced that the United States did not commit crimes against humanity through its sanctions against Venezuela. The investigation, referred to as "Venezuela II", was initiated by the now-deposed President Nicolas Maduro, alleging that the sanctions had caused suffering and hardship for Venezuelans. However, the ICC prosecutor determined that the evidence did not meet the requirements to establish causation and intent for crimes such as murder, displacement or other alleged acts.
Why it matters
This decision by the ICC is significant as it clears the U.S. of allegations of crimes against humanity related to its sanctions policy towards Venezuela. The case was seen as a test of the ICC's willingness to hold major powers accountable for the impacts of their foreign policy decisions on civilian populations.
The details
The ICC prosecutor's office said the "evidential requirements of causation and intent are not met" in the case against the U.S. sanctions. The referral from Maduro had alleged "murder, extermination, deportation, persecution and other inhumane acts constituting crimes against humanity" due to the sanctions. However, the ICC found the evidence did not provide a reasonable basis to believe the U.S. sanctions directly led to those alleged crimes.
- The investigation, called Venezuela II, was referred to the ICC by Venezuela's government in 2020.
- The ICC prosecutor announced the decision clearing the U.S. on March 12, 2026.
The players
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that investigates and tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
Nicolas Maduro
The former President of Venezuela who referred the case against the U.S. sanctions to the ICC in 2020, alleging they caused suffering and hardship for Venezuelans.
United States
The U.S. government was accused of committing crimes against humanity through its sanctions policy towards Venezuela, but was cleared of these allegations by the ICC prosecutor.
What’s next
The ICC is still investigating the separate "Venezuela I" case, which does not involve the United States.
The takeaway
This decision by the ICC represents a victory for the U.S. in defending its sanctions policy towards Venezuela, which has been a point of contention between the two countries. However, the broader impacts of U.S. sanctions on the Venezuelan population remain a subject of debate and ongoing scrutiny.
