UN Mission: Venezuela reactivated repressive machinery

  • Sep, Fri, 2024
  • ICTS


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Photo: Yuri Cortez / AFP

The regime of Venezuela reactivated the repressive machinery ahead of the presidential elections on July 28, concludes the report of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission presented this Friday to the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The experts, who investigated the period between September 2023 and August 2024, documented a series of crimes committed after the National Electoral Council announced the alleged victory of Nicolás Maduro without presenting evidence of the results.

«The repressive machinery of the Venezuelan State continues to commit serious human rights violations and crimes. “The victims, and the population in general, are left helpless in the face of the arbitrary exercise of power, in a context in which the minimum semblance of legality in the actions of the authorities is disappearing,” he says.

The mission warns that the risk of a disintegration of the rule of law in Venezuela it is very high.

Increased repression after the elections

Since the announcement of Maduro’s “victory”, political and social repression has reached alarming levels.

According to the mission, 25 people died during post-election protests, Most of them were young people from poor neighborhoods, victims of gunfire from the Bolivarian National Guard and the Bolivarian National Police, who acted in conjunction with armed civilians.

Added to this are More than 2,200 arrests in just one week after the elections, figures not seen since 2019.

“The victims, and the population in general, are left helpless in the face of the arbitrary exercise of power, in a context in which the minimum semblance of legality is disappearing,” they stressed.

Among the emblematic cases investigated is the Arrest of human rights lawyer Rocío San Miguel and the persecution of opposition members, such as five Vente Venezuela activists.

Those opponents of Maria Corina Machado’s team They took refuge in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas before receiving custody from Brazil following the expulsion of the Argentine diplomatic representation.

Systematic violations and crimes against humanity

The report also highlights that The documented violations are not isolated incidents, but part of a systematic plan by Nicolás Maduro’s government to silence the political opposition and perpetuate power.

“These violations represent a continuation of the same line of conduct characterized by the mission in previous reports as crimes against humanity,” the delegation said.

Among the crimes mentioned are: torture, sexual violence and politically motivated persecution.

The repression of boys and girls

One of the most disturbing aspects of the report is the arrest of 158 children, some with disabilities, during the protests.

These minors have been accused of serious crimes such as terrorismwhich constitutes a flagrant violation of international child protection standards, the report says.

It also warns of the approval of laws that restrict fundamental freedoms in Venezuela.

The NGO Oversight Act and the Anti-Fascism Bill, both passed in August, criminalize dissent and severely restrict the right to freedom of association and expression.

According to the UN Mission, these laws in Venezuela are incompatible with international norms and standards.

The experts called on the international community to act in the face of the humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela. “Violations and crimes continue to be committed as we present our report to this Council,” they stressed.

Given this situation, they asked that impunity must not be allowed and justice must be guaranteed for victims of political persecution and human rights violations in Venezuela.









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