Unprecedented Venezuela repression plunging nation into acute human rights crisis, UN Fact-Finding Mission says

GENEVA – Venezuela’s Government has dramatically intensified efforts to crush all peaceful opposition to its rule, plunging the nation into one of the most acute human rights crises in recent history, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela warned in its latest report today.

The violations and crimes documented, including the crime against humanity of politically motivated persecution, are not isolated or random acts, but part of a continuing and coordinated plan to silence, discourage and quash opposition to the Government of President Nicolás Maduro, the report said.

"We are witnessing an intensification of the State’s repressive machinery in response to what it perceives as critical views, opposition or dissent,” said Marta Valiñas, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. “Although this is a continuation of previous patterns, that the mission has already characterized as crimes against humanity, the recent repression, due to its intensity and systematic nature, represents a very serious attack on the fundamental rights of the Venezuelan people, committed despite several calls both inside and outside the country to respect human rights.”

The Fact-Finding Mission’s report, which examines the human rights situation in the country between September 2023 and August 2024, said a new milestone in the deterioration of the rule of law had been reached following presedential elections in July. Public authorities have abandoned all semblance of independence and, in practice, many judicial guarantees lost their effectiveness, leaving the citizenry helpless in the face of the arbitrary exercise of power.

In the period leading up to the elections, from December 2023 to March 2024, at least 48 people were detained on the grounds of what the Government described as conspiracies against it, and arrest warrants were issued for others. These individuals include military personnel as well as human rights defenders, journalists, and members of the political opposition.

In July alone, the mission documented over 120 people arrested in the context of opposition campaign events. In the first week of protests following the elections, according to figures from the authorities themselves, more than 2,000 people were detained. These individuals, including over a hundred children, some with disabilities, were accused of terrorism and incitement to hatred.

These arrests involved and were followed by serious violations of due process, reaching unprecedented levels in the country. The criminal proceedings initiated against the detainees systematically violated basic due process guarantees.

The Fact-Finding Mission reaffirmed its conclusion that the justice system, led by the Supreme Court, is clearly subordinated to the interests of the executive branch and serves as a key instrument in its plan to repress all forms of political and social opposition.

"Victims and a large part of the population are exposed to the arbitrary exercise of power, where arbitrary detention is systematically used, with serious violations of due process," said Francisco Cox, expert of the Fact-Finding Mission. "The mission had previously warned that the Government could activate its repressive apparatus at will, and that is precisely what we are now observing.”

As a precursor to the wave of repression before the elections, Maduro and other high-ranking officials had warned of the possibility of a bloodbath if they didn´t secure victory.

"The government’s repressive plan and policy targeted individuals who dared to criticize President Maduro, question government policies, or protest against the electoral results. It especially focused on members of the political opposition or those perceived as opposition by the Government, although anyone could be a victim," said Patricia Tappatá, expert of the Fact-Finding Mission. "The severity of the repression, the effort to demonstrate results through imprisonment, and the use of mistreatment and torture have instilled a climate of widespread fear among the population, further reducing civic space."

The report also recorded an intensification of harassment, criminalization, and other restrictions on the work of key civil society actors, including human rights organizations and journalists.

"Taking into account both the patterns of action and the State policy outlined in previous reports, as well as the profile of the victims, and public statements by senior state representatives, the mission has reasonable grounds to believe that the crime of persecution on political grounds has been committed during the timeframe covered by its mandate," the report said.