CARACAS.- The figures of human rights violations in Venezuela remain alarmingly high, according to reports presented by organizations Provide y Criminal Forum this Tuesday. These data, which cover from the beginning of the regime of Nicolas Maduro until 2023, reveal a chilling reality of torture, extrajudicial executions and political arrests in the country.
According to the Provea research coordinator, Lissette GonzalezDuring these ten years, more than 10,000 extrajudicial executions were recorded by Venezuelan state forces. In addition, 1,652 cases of torture were documented in the same period. These figures not only illustrate the repression of political and social leaders, but also the control and repression of the most vulnerable sectors of society, which suffer the consequences of the economic and social crisis.
“These 10 years of Nicolás Maduro’s administration, between 2013 and 2023, we have registered 10,085 people murdered by the bodies of the Venezuelan State,” said González, during the presentation of the report.
Foro Penal, dedicated to the legal defense of political prisoners, reported a total of 15,827 arrests between 2014 and 2024, with 273 people still detained today. Gonzalo Himiobvice president of Foro Penal, highlighted the intensification of political persecution of activists and militants of forces opposed to the Maduro regime, stressing that there is no end to this repression.
Regime intensifies persecution
“We see no signs or evidence that repression, particularly politically motivated repression, is ceasing. We have seen an onslaught, a significant intensification in the persecution of activists or militants” by “political forces other than those of the government.” “Himiob said.
These complaints become especially relevant in the context of the upcoming presidential elections in July, where Maduro will seek a third term. The recent arrest of three political activists and collaborators of the opposition leader María Corina Machado, to from Rocío San Miguelan expert on military issues, accused of conspiring to overthrow Maduro, as well as accusations of forced disappearances, have generated concern in both the opposition and human rights organizations.
He UN Working Group on Forced or Involuntary Disappearances warned about an “alarming increase” in these practices since December 2023, warning that they could hinder the population’s right to vote freely in the 2024 elections.
“As the country prepares for the presidential elections in July 2024, these forced disappearances could have a deterrent effect and hinder the population’s right to vote freely,” warned the members of the Working Group on Forced or Involuntary Disappearances.
Provea, which has reported cases of disappearances in the past, warns of a probable increase in repression in the coming months, coinciding with the electoral cycle. Impunity, along with poverty, continue to be the main human rights violations in the country, according to the organization.
Source: With information from AFP
