August 13, 2026 | 07:59 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, August 12, urged Latin American countries that are members of the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition (ACCC) to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the judicial institution of undermining national sovereignty.
“I strongly encourage every ACCC member to leave the ICC and reject their attempts to rob your governments and your courts of your sovereignty,” Hegseth said in a speech in Panama, as quoted by ANTARA. He argued that each country should retain the authority to deploy troops and protect its citizens under its own laws and constitution.
“Our nations retain our sovereignty and our ability to deploy our own warriors in our own defense,” said Hegseth, who spearheaded what he calls a “warrior culture” initiative.
“We answer only to our own citizens and our own constitutions, not unelected international bureaucrats.” He also accused the ICC of seeking to establish jurisdiction over U.S. and partner military personnel and their military operations, calling the move an “unlawful power grab.”
As defense secretary and before, Hegseth argued that unnecessary regulations forced U.S. troops to fight with “one hand tied behind their backs,” emphasizing that the primary consideration should be “lethality.” He also urged U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene to defend military personnel facing war crimes charges.
Hegseth also announced that Colombia would join the ACCC and said Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella had asked the U.S. to participate in his country's fight against narco-terrorism.
"I'm also proud to announce that Colombia will join the ACCC, becoming the 19th member. And through the newly inaugurated president, as our president likes to say, President ‘El Tigre,’ Colombia has already requested that the Department of War join Colombia in its fight against narco-terrorism, authorizing joint military operations to destroy terrorist and terror networks," Hegseth said.
Hegseth's statement came amid Washington's increasingly aggressive campaign against the ICC.
Trump said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's efforts to "subdue the International Criminal Court" were aimed at protecting Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and others facing investigation by the court.
At a meeting at Camp David last month, Rubio said the ICC had “rendered itself illegitimate” by claiming jurisdiction over non-member countries. Trump later said Rubio was trying to “stand up for Bibi and others.”
The U.S. is not a party to the ICC and has long opposed its jurisdiction. Washington increased pressure on the court after the ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Read: US: Karoline Leavitt to Step Down as Trump's Spokesperson
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