Human Rights Watch has released a report raising alarm about widespread human rights violations against protesters, bystanders, opposition leaders, and critics of Nicolás Maduro’s government following the July 28, 2024, presidential elections. “The repression we are seeing in Venezuela is brutal,” said Juanita Goebertus, director of the Americas Division at Human Rights Watch. “The international community must take urgent action to ensure that Venezuelans can protest peacefully and that their vote is respected.”
The report released on Wednesday reviews the dizzying weeks that Venezuelans have experienced since the presidential elections in which it was announced that Maduro won without presenting disaggregated results or conducting subsequent audits, which has generated deep questions from international observers, the international community and the voters themselves who have taken to the streets, in mostly peaceful protests, to demand a fair vote count. Weeks in which the record of human rights violations committed in the South American country has also grown.
“Venezuelans have taken to the streets across the country, especially in popular sectors traditionally supportive of Chavismo, where numerous acts of repression have occurred,” said the report, which analyzed half of the 24 murders in the context of protests, including a member of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB). “Human Rights Watch has documented that Venezuelan authorities and pro-government armed groups, known as “colectivos,” have committed widespread abuses, including killings, arbitrary arrests and criminal prosecutions, and harassment of government critics.” Added to this is the arrest warrant issued on Monday against opposition candidate Edmundo González for “inciting disobedience,” “conspiracy,” and other crimes.
Witnesses, journalists and organizations consulted by HRW described the modus operandi The pattern of the “colectivos” and security forces in the repression of the demonstrations in August, a pattern that has already been denounced before, is that “at first, security forces control or disperse the demonstrations, often using barriers, firing tear gas and arresting protesters. If the demonstrations continue, members of “colectivos” appear, who often use firearms to intimidate or attack protesters.” One of the cases they are analyzing and in which this joint action by security forces and Chavista shock groups was repeated is that of Isaías Fuenmayor González, 15 years old, killed on the afternoon of July 29 when he left his house in San Francisco, Zulia state, to practice a dance with his friends for an upcoming 15th birthday party. On the way he crossed paths with protesters near a voting center who were repelled by National Guard officers. Then a group of colectivos attacked the protesters and a bullet hit the young man in the neck.
HRW warns that the government has also “intensified its repressive tactics, cancelling passports of government critics to prevent them from leaving the country, calling on citizens to report protesters and carrying out abusive raids, especially in poor areas.” They add the dangers posed to civil society and NGOs, which are particularly involved in their activity in defending human rights in this context, by the approval two weeks ago of legislation restricting their operation.
The harsh accusations complicate the international outlook for Venezuela, which has an open investigation in the International Criminal Court, despite the government’s attempts to postpone it, and which in the middle of this month will submit to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva a new renewal of the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela.
In HRW’s view, the mission should continue its work as it is key to accountability and also recommends supporting the ICC Prosecutor’s Office in its investigation and considering the imposition of individual sanctions on those responsible for serious human rights violations, such as judges, prosecutors and security officials. The organization also recommends expanding access to asylum and other forms of international protection, in accordance with international standards, for Venezuelans who are forced to leave their country.
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