Argentina asks Spain to extradite Venezuelan ex‑colonel over 2014 protest killings

The United Nations Independent International Fact‑Finding Mission on Venezuela hailed a judicial milestone: Argentina’s federal court formally requested Spain to extradite former Venezuelan National Guard colonel Ephraín Enrique Verdú Torrelles. Verdú is accused of murder, torture, arbitrary detention and sexual violence committed during the 2014 anti‑government protests, and is one of a group of 14 officers identified by the NGO Inter‑Just.

The request proceeds under the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing a third‑state court to try serious international crimes committed elsewhere. The UN mission said the extradition petition represents the first concrete legal step stemming from its investigations, which have documented systematic, state‑directed repression, including the use of live ammunition, coordination with armed civilian groups, mass arrests and sexual violence. The mission called the move a “key judicial advance” toward ending impunity for alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela.