Venezuela will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the tribunal's perceived bias, the nation's foreign minister has said.
The announcement comes amid an ongoing ICC investigation into alleged crimes under captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government.
Caracas had informed the United Nations of its "firm and irrevocable decision" to withdraw from the ICC, Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia wrote on X.
Interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, who took over after US forces ousted Maduro in January, had instructed the move, he added.
"Venezuela considers that the Court's actions reflect a demonstrated geographical bias, which has disproportionately concentrated its work on African and Latin American countries," Plasencia said.
The Hague-based court said it had not yet received a formal notification of Venezuela's withdrawal.
"We regret any decision to depart from the collective effort to end impunity for the most serious international crimes," the ICC stated, adding it takes one year for official withdrawal from the court to take effect.
Even after that, "the withdrawing State remains bound by obligations that arose whilst it was a State Party," the statement cautioned.
"Withdrawal does not affect any pre-existing cooperation obligations arising from criminal investigations or proceedings that had commenced" previously, it added.
ICC probe in Venezuela
The ICC is currently probing alleged crimes against humanity committed during crackdowns on protestors in Venezuela since 2014.
In December 2025, Venezuela's parliament took steps to repeal the Rome Statute, the court's founding text, after the tribunal closed its Caracas office citing fruitless government talks.
And in March of this year, the ICC dismissed complaints filed by Venezuela that US sanctions on the country amounted to crimes against humanity.
Plasencia's announcement coincides with ICC member states' decision Friday to dismiss top prosecutor Karim Khan over allegations of sexual assault.
Khan denies the allegations and his lawyers said Friday he will challenge his dismissal.
Neither the US nor Israel is a party to the ICC.
In a statement last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is launching a "sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to US sovereignty."
Rubio said he will pressure member states to withdraw from the institution, sanction organisations that work with the court and ban staff from traveling to the United States.
Countries that "enjoy the benefits of the US security umbrella" will be called upon to reject the court’s jurisdiction over US citizens.
