The new one report expands on the findings reported in September Council for Human Rights 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 The controversial presidential elections of July 2024 in Venezuela.
Coordinated repression
The mission’s findings indicate a coordinated effort to attack perceived political opponents. The abuses “were committed as part of a coordinated plan to silence, discourage and destroy opposition to President Maduro’s government,” investigators reported.
The Council for Human RightsThe UN-mandated mission found that detainees, including children and people with disabilities, were threatened, in some cases with torture, to incriminate themselves in serious crimes such as terrorism. Many were denied access to legal representation, leaving them vulnerable to harsh penalties and long-term detention.
Particularly serious is the number of detained minors, who have faced the same threats as adults, with the report noting that they “have not benefited from the procedural guarantees provided 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 persecution on political grounds.
At least 25 people were killed, hundreds were injured and thousands remain in custody as they exercised their fundamental right to freedom of expressionthe report shows.
The mission concludes with a call for the immediate release of all persons arbitrarily detained and urges the Venezuelan government to respect the physical and psychological integrity of those detained. The international attention to the protection of children in these circumstances is also emphasized.
The Independent international fact-finding mission will continue to investigate the situation, as recently requested by the Human Rights Council 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, do not receive payment for their work and do not represent any government or organization.
