New Report Details Venezuelan crackdowns following elections
Human Rights Watch documents "arbitrary detention, torture, and murder" by security forces
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) on April 30 published a report on the dictatorship in Venezuela that exposes the systematic violation of human rights carried out by the government of Nicolás Maduro after having committed fraud in the last presidential elections in June 2024.
HRW's report is based on one hundred interviews with victims of the illegal repression, their families, eyewitnesses, pro-government journalists, and human rights organizations.
“The Venezuelan government has murdered, tortured, detained, and disappeared people who stood up for democracy in Venezuela,” said Juanita Goebertus, director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch.
Following the election, Venezuelan electoral authorities announced that Nicolás Maduro had been re-elected president. Independent observers — notably the United Nations Panel of Electoral Experts and the Carter Center — raised serious concerns about the legitimacy of the results. The Carter Center concluded that the tally sheets gathered by the opposition most likely showed that opposition candidate Edmundo González had won by a significant margin.
Killings During Protests
During the massive protests that followed, "Human Rights Watch received credible reports of 25 killings in the context of the protests.
"Among those killed were 24 protesters or bystanders, as well as one member of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB). The majority - 22 of the 25 - were under 40 years of age and, for the most part, came from low-income neighborhoods."
"Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, repeatedly claimed that 28 people had died at the hands of violent protesters. He also claimed that the deaths could be attributed to groups supporting the candidacy of Edmundo Gonzalez, known as ‘comanditos’."
"The evidence presented in this report implicates security forces, including the GNB and the Bolivarian National Police (PNB), in some killings. In other cases, armed pro-government ‘colectivo’ groups appear to be responsible."
In addition to killings, the government carried out mass-arrests of protesters and non-protesters suspected of making anti-government statements
Arrests and Disappearances:
While the exact number remains uncertain, more than 2,000 people have been detained in connection with protests and political opposition since the July 28 elections.
Maduro and Attorney General Saab have repeatedly stated that those arrested were responsible for violent acts, terrorism, and other crimes.
However, Human Rights Watch has found evidence that people were detained for activities that should be protected, such as participating in protests, criticizing the government, or being part of the political opposition.
In most of the cases documented by Human Rights Watch, security forces did not show detainees an arrest warrant at the time of their arrest; and several people were detained by hooded men who did not present themselves as members of the security forces.
Authorities often denied that the detentions had occurred or refused to provide information about the detainees' whereabouts to relatives and others, constituting enforced disappearances under international law.
In its exhaustive dossier, HRW also describes the situation of political opposition members who have been detained as part of widespread crackdowns. They are accused of financing or promoting ‘destabilizing acts’ and conspiring against the Maduro government."
The group also mentioned the good relations between the United States and Venezuela under the administration of Donald Trump, compared to his first term in office.
The Trump administration appears to be prioritizing cooperation on migration issues and the release of American citizens held in Venezuela over broader efforts to uphold human rights and the rule of law. Given US influence and rising anti-migrant sentiment in Latin America, there is a serious risk that other governments may follow suit, Human Rights Watch said.
“Maduro is likely to exploit this cooperation to legitimize his hold on power, leading to further repression and quite possibly triggering a new wave of Venezuelan refugees and migrants”, said HRW in the report.
You can read the full report here.
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