UN Independent Experts Condemn Intensified Repression in Venezuela After Elections

Human rights organizations and leaders from several countries have criticized the official results of the July 28 voting in Venezuela, deeming it undemocratic, ambiguous, and aimed at preserving Nicolas Maduro's power as president in this South American country. Findings from independent human rights experts of the United Nations, published in the latest report on Tuesday, September 17, indicate that the Venezuelan government has reactivated and intensified its "harshest and most violent mechanisms of repression" against protesters following the disputed presidential elections in July. The fact-finding mission on Venezuela, commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, condemned human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence by the country's security forces, stating that these actions "collectively amount to political persecution and crimes against humanity." These findings reflect the concerns of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Human Rights Watch, and others regarding Venezuela and its democracy, including the repression before and after the elections and the exile of Edmundo Gonzalez, the opposition leader and Maduro's electoral rival. The Venezuelan diplomatic mission in Geneva claims it does not recognize the fact-finding mission's mandate and refrained from commenting on the report to the Associated Press. According to Marta Valina, head of the expert group, Venezuelan officials acknowledge that more than 2,200 people have been arrested from the day after the elections until August 7. Valina stated at a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday, "Of these, we have confirmed the arrest of at least 158 children, some of whom have disabilities." She added, "This phenomenon is new and very concerning. We are facing systematic, coordinated, and deliberate repression by the Venezuelan government, which has a conscious plan to silence any form of dissent." The National Electoral Council of Venezuela, with most of its members being Maduro supporters, announced that he won the elections with 52% of the votes. However, opposition supporters collected 80% of the electronic voting machines' ballots and claimed that Gonzalez won with double the votes of Maduro. Just hours after Maduro's victory was announced, thousands took to the streets across Venezuela. These protests were mostly peaceful; however, in some cases, demonstrators toppled statues of Hugo Chavez, Maduro's predecessor, threw stones at police and buildings, and burned police motorcycles and government propaganda. The Maduro government responded forcefully to these protests, resorting to arbitrary arrests and prosecuting opponents, while also launching a campaign encouraging people to report relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances who participated in the protests or expressed doubts about the election results. Independent experts stated that they prepared this report through interviews with 383 people and reviewing court files and other documents, while also confirming the existence of limitations for information gathering in the post-election period. Experts noted that their requests for information from Venezuelan officials were "ignored" despite requests for cooperation from the Human Rights Council, which consists of 47 UN member countries on a rotating basis.