PM rips Venezuela’s Maduro

UNITED NATIONS — Justin Trudeau’s United Nations mission ended in a human-rights flourish Wednesday as the prime minister formally added his name to a multilateral calling-out of Venezuela.

Canada joined a group of South American nations in formally referring the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro to the Hague-based International Criminal Court, a move aimed at placing the socialist regime under investigation for alleged crimes against humanity.

The move — Canada’s first referral to the court and the first time member nations have referred a fellow member state — comes as Venezuela spirals ever deeper into a worsening economic and political morass.

Along with Trudeau, the Latin American countries of Peru, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay signed the referral on the very day that Maduro himself made a surprise arrival at the UN to deliver a scheduled speech not many expected him to show up for.

“The situation in Venezuela is catastrophic,” Trudeau told a news conference at the UN.

“There is a humanitarian crisis going on in a country that used to be one of the most successful and prosperous countries in South America. The failure of leadership in Venezuela is of concern not just to us, but to leaders in the region, friends to Venezuela and of concern to the world.”