143 attacks against organizations and activists

In Venezuela, 134 attacks and security incidents against human rights organizations and defenders were recorded in August78 more cases than in July, when 56 were documented, according to a report released this Wednesday by the NGO Center for Defenders and Justice (CDJ).

“In the post-electoral context, the policy of criminalization, repression and social control that affects actions to promote, defend and demand human rights has deepened, increasing the aggression and intimidation against those who carry them out,” the NGO said in its most recent bulletin.

Of the total number of cases, 56 were cases of intimidation and harassment, 47 of stigmatization, 19 threats, 5 arbitrary detentions, 4 prosecutions and 3 in the category of “others”, which were not specified.

He said that 72% of the registered cases were carried out against non-governmental organizations, while the remaining 28% were directed at individuals.

The main perpetrators, the NGO continued, were “government” media (36%), followed by public officials (30%), public institutions (21%), government-aligned actors (7%) and security agencies (6%).

The CDJ indicated that these events are accompanied by systematic stigmatization campaigns, where “people and organizations are disqualified and labeled as enemies, terrorists, destabilizing, among others.”

“Furthermore, there is concern about the widespread disqualification, threats and intimidation against the work of human rights organizations in the country, framed in the approval of the Law on Supervision, Regularization, Action and Financing of NGOs and Related Organizations,” he added.

Last month, the Venezuelan Parliament approved that law. which orders the judicial dissolution of those groups that violate the provisions established in the regulations.

Under the new law, NGOs are prohibited from receiving or making financial contributions to political organisations, as well as from promoting “fascism, intolerance or hatred”.

It establishes as grounds for dissolution of these associations the non-compliance with the prohibitions, declared by judicial decision, as well as the non-payment of any fine imposed “in accordance with this law, once the available judicial remedies have been exhausted.”

It states that organizations must report “the financing or donations” they receive, in order to “ensure the legality of the funds,” in addition to declaring the “donations received with full identification of the donors, indicating whether they are national or foreign, accidental or permanent.”