Estados Unidos sanciona a la Corte Penal Internacional horas después del Nobel de la Paz a una exjueza

The United States government imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, just hours after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to South African jurist Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge, for her efforts to promote peace and international law. State Secretary Marco Rubio stated that President Trump would never allow the ICC to prosecute Americans and vowed to cut off the court's resources, effectively paralyzing its operational capacity.

The sanctions prohibit any transactions with the court, targeting those who collaborate with it. Washington had previously sanctioned 13 of its own judges and prosecutors. Rubio stated that the measures are designed to give the court and its member states time to address American concerns, and warned that if allies do not "stop" the court, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle it, piece by piece.

The court, based in The Hague, called the decision an "attempt to obstruct the course of justice" and an "attack on the rule of law and the very foundations of the international juridical order" in a statement signed by its president, Tomoko Akane, who was also sanctioned by Washington in August. The European Union called it "deeply regrettable" and promised to cooperate with the court to ensure its continued operation, hoping for room for dialogue before the sanctions take effect in six months.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was ordered detained by the court in 2024 for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, congratulated the United States and described the court as a "political body". Pillay, 85, served as a judge on the Appeals Chamber of the court from 2003 to 2008, presided over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and was UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

The Committee of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presented the prize as a message to those seeking to undermine international law institutions, dedicating it to the survivors of international crimes. Trump has repeatedly stated that Pillay deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. The 2025 laureate, Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado, received her medal from the White House in January.

Over 120 states are party to the Rome Statute, including all South American countries. The United States is not one of them.