Argentina to seek international arrest warrant for Venezuela's Maduro

Argentina has called on the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to request an arrest warrant for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Following the presidential election on July 28, which was marred by accusations of widespread voter fraud, actions taken by Maduro's government could constitute crimes against humanity, the Argentinian Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Friday.

Argentina intends to push for the arrest warrant against Maduro and other members of his government with an official request to the court in The Hague on Monday, the ministry said.

Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, secured a third term in the disputed election after the the country's electoral authority - which is stacked with government loyalists - declared him the winner.

The government has not provided any concrete voter tallies to back up Maduro's win. The opposition claims victory for its candidate, 75-year-old former diplomat Edmundo González, and has significant support from other countries in the region and the United States.

Since the vote, the police have cracked down on anti-Maduro demonstrators. The non-governmental rights organization PROVEA said 24 people have lost their lives so far.

In a significant escalation, Venezuela's attorney general's office said on Monday that an arrest warrant for González had been issued.