\n Courts in Argentina and 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n Venezuela was first off the mark with its warrant for Argentina's Milei over what it called the \"theft\" of a Venezuelan plane seized in Buenos Aires for alleged sanctions violations.\n<\/p>\n
\n A court in Caracas also issued warrants for Argentina's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich and Karina Milei, the president's sister and presidential advisor.\n<\/p>\n
\n In a tit-for-tat measure hours later, an Argentine court ordered the arrest of Venezuela's Maduro and dozens of aides for crimes against humanity.\n<\/p>\n
\n Significantly, the court also asked international police organization Interpol to issue a red notice for their capture, local media reported.\n<\/p>\n
\n The federal court in Buenos Aires accused Venezuela's leaders of organizing the kidnap and torture of Venezuelan citizens, the reports added.\n<\/p>\n
\n The court invoked the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows countries to prosecute certain serious crimes regardless of where they took place.\n<\/p>\n
\n Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello is among those sought.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Polar opposites -\n<\/p>\n
\n Venezuela has repeatedly locked horns with Argentina, where Milei, a vocal critic of Maduro-style socialism, took office last December.\n<\/p>\n
\n Argentina was among dozens of countries not to recognize Maduro's claim of reelection victory in a July 28 vote which the opposition said it can prove he stole.\n<\/p>\n
\n Argentina -- whose embassy in Caracas is sheltering Venezuelan opposition officials -- was among seven Latin American countries with which Caracas severed ties after the election.\n<\/p>\n
\n The arrest warrant issued by Venezuela for Milei relates to a cargo plane owned by Venezuelan company Emtrasur, which was seized after landing in Argentina in June 2022, before Milei took office.\n<\/p>\n
\n An Argentine judge 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n The arrest warrant was seen as largely symbolic, however, as it is unlikely Milei will set foot in Venezuela, which is the only country where the warrant applies.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
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Courts in Argentina and 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 for Argentina's Milei over what it called the \"theft\" of a Venezuelan plane seized in Buenos Aires […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[553],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-136283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-feed"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n