Key takeaways:
– Independent U.N. experts contend that Venezuela has accelerated the use of brutal and violent repression methods since the contentious July 28, 2024, election.
– The report highlighted serious human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence.
– Over 2,200 people were detained within one week of the controversial election.
– Among arrested are three U.S. nationals, two Spaniards, and a Czech citizen, accused of instigating “violent actions.”
Venezuela’s Spiralling Sociopolitical Situation
A new report by independent U.N. human rights experts released on Tuesday asserts that the Venezuela government has ramped up its employment of “stern and most violent” tactics of repression following the contested July presidential election. The July 28 results have sparked a widespread backlash, viewed as non-transparent, undemocratic, and principally steered towards sustaining President Nicolás Maduro’s power.
Rampant Human Rights Violations
Commissioned by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council, the fact-finding mission on Venezuela decried grave human rights violations. Security forces were accused of engaging in arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence, which, when seen collectively, amount to the crime against humanity of persecution on political grounds. Following the disputed presidential election, the state has intensified the use of its repressive apparatus, revealed the experts.
This development aligns with previous concerns raised by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Human Rights Watch, and others over Venezuela’s crackdown in the run-up to and after the much-anticipated election and the ensuing flight into exile of Venezuela’s opposition leader, Edmundo González.
Detention of Over 2,200 People
Head of the experts team, Marta Valiñas, shed light on the high number of detentions following the election. She revealed that between July 29 and August 6, Venezuelan authorities acknowledged arresting more than 2,200 people, including a minimum of 158 children. She termed this emerging trend as “new and extremely worrying.”
The Farcical Election
Maduro managed to clinch his victory with 52% of the votes, according to Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, largely composed of Maduro loyalists. However, opposition supporters, who managed to acquire tally sheets from 80% of the nation’s electronic voting machines, claim that González had won the election, securing twice as many votes as Maduro.
International Condemnation Over Murky Election
Global condemnation over the lack of transparency in the electoral process urged Maduro to seek an audit of the results by Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice, which predictably reaffirmed his victory.
The independent experts constitute a fact-finding mission established in 2019, which has been reporting on rights infringements, including alleged crimes against humanity, under Maduro’s regime. Their latest report, the fifth of its kind, slammed the government’s attempts to suppress peaceful opposition to its authority.
Systematic Repression of Opposition
Following Maduro’s win, thousands rallied in protests across the country. The government responded with widespread detentions, prosecutions, and launched campaigns to encourage citizens to report protestors. Patricia Tappatá Valdez, a member of the expert team, attested the politically motivated persecution with verified figures showing the large-scale repression against opposition members. The experts concluded their report revealing that their attempts to acquire information from the Venezuelan authorities were consistently dismissed despite pleas from the rights council for cooperation.