Human rights violations escalate in Venezuela following disputed presidential election

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Human rights abuses have increased in the past year in Venezuela, a report by the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the country shows, citing arbitrary detentions, torture and violence against children.  

The new report expands on findings presented in September to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. It documents a pattern of escalated human rights violations committed by Venezuelan security forces, government officials, and pro-government armed civilian groups, known as “colectivos,” in the wake of Venezuela’s contested July 2024 presidential election.  

Coordinated repression 

The Mission’s findings reveal a coordinated effort to target perceived political opponents. Abuses “were committed as part of a coordinated plan to silence, discourage and quash opposition to the Government of President Maduro,” investigators reported.

The Human Rights Council-mandated Mission found that detainees, including children and people with disabilities, were threatened, in some instances with acts of torture, to self-incriminate for serious crimes, such as terrorism. Many were denied access to legal representation, leaving them vulnerable to harsh penalties and prolonged detention.

Particularly serious is the number of detained minors, who faced the same threats as adults, with the report noting they “did not benefit from the procedural guarantees afforded to them by the Organic Law for the Protection of Children and Adolescents and by international norms and standards.” 

Crimes against humanity 

The Mission’s report confirms that some of the human rights violations documented during this period qualify as crimes against humanity, including persecutions on political grounds.

At least 25 people were killed, hundreds were injured, and thousands remain detained for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression, the report reveals.  

The Mission concludes by calling for the immediate release of all individuals arbitrarily detained and urges the Venezuelan government to respect the physical and psychological integrity of detainees. International attention to protect children in these circumstances is also emphasised.  

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission will continue to investigate the situation as requested by the Human Rights Council in a recent decision to extend their mandate for another two years. 

The Mission was established by the Council in September 2019 to assess alleged human rights violations committed in Venezuela since 2014.

It consists of three experts who are not UN staff, receive no payment for their work, and do not represent any government or organization.