ICC complaint links PDVSA funds to Venezuelan repression

A formal complaint has been submitted to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requesting an investigation into a financial structure allegedly linked to the Venezuelan state repressive apparatus. The complaint, filed by journalist and political leader Leocenis García, seeks to include the alleged embezzlement of funds from the state oil company, PDVSA, into the ongoing investigation of crimes against humanity in Venezuela.

The document alleges that the misappropriation of oil revenues and the use of opaque fleets were used to fund the logistics of repression and the operation of detention centers, specifically mentioning the El Rodeo I prison. According to the filing, officials at the facility claimed that its infrastructure and financing relied on contributions from businessmen and intermediaries linked to the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM).

García, who reported being a victim of cruel treatment and forced isolation during his detention, has requested that ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan authorize audits of companies, insurance providers, and SWIFT transactions. The goal is to trace capital flows and freeze the assets of financial intermediaries suspected of collaborating with this structure.