A year has passed since the illegal detention of Argentine gendarme Nahuel Gallo in Venezuela. Javier Milei's government released an official statement in which it renewed its condemnation of Nicolás Maduro's regime and described the case as "a flagrant violation of international law".
The statement was jointly signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Security. In it, the government insists that Gallo remains detained without any judicial guarantees, without access to his family, and in circumstances that constitute enforced disappearance. This constitutes a crime provided for and condemned by current international treaties.
According to the statement, since the beginning of the case Argentina has carried out multiple diplomatic efforts and formal complaints "in various international forums." Meanwhile, the government identified those responsible before the relevant organizations and maintained ongoing contact with the gendarme's family.
The statement concludes by assuring: "The Argentine Government will continue to support Nahuel Gallo's family members in this grim circumstance and will not cease its efforts for his release and his prompt return to our country."
Actions before the IACHR, the ICC, and the United Nations
In the past year, the Milei administration has intensified international pressure on Venezuela. Among the actions highlighted are:
- The request for urgent precautionary measures before the IACHR to protect the gendarme's life and integrity.
- The presentation of the case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an episode of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance.
- The complaint before the UN Human Rights Council, where Argentina exposed "a flagrant violation of Nahuel Gallo's human rights".
These interventions seek to compel the Venezuelan regime to report the detainee's whereabouts, provide guarantees regarding his detention conditions, and allow consular access, something Maduro has systematically denied.
