In an article published by Just Security, CERL Advisory Council Member Benjamin R. Farley makes the argument that because operation Absolute Resolve met the criteria of an International Armed Conflict, then Nicolas Maduro, who was both president and commander in chief of the armed forces in Venezuela, does indeed qualify as a prisoner of war and should be treated as such. The article goes on to discuss three theories on how prisoner of war status might apply to someone like Maduro, and what this designation means for his eventual prosecution.  

Benjamin R. Farley is special counsel at the National Immigration Law Center, a Visiting (non-resident) Fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Human Rights Center, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law. Read his bio here.   

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.