18 March 2025
Mr. President,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela thanks the Human Rights Council for its decision to extend the Mission's mandate for a period of two years.
This update covers some of the most significant developments in the human rights situation in the country since September 2024.
Mr. President,
The results of the 28 July 2024, presidential elections were challenged before the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, which declared them inadmissible in October without an assessment of the substance of the claims.
The National Electoral Council, in disregard of Venezuelan electoral law, never published the totalization act or the polling station tally sheets. The Mission has received credible and corroborated testimonies indicating that members of the Council received political instructions to announce a result different from what was obtained at the polls.
Mr. President,
During the period covered by this update, arbitrary detentions of opposition figures or individuals perceived as such have continued and increased in the period immediately preceding the presidential inauguration on 10 January 2025.
Pre-inauguration anti-government protests were repressed by security forces and civilian groups, presumably "colectivos." Human rights violations were recorded, particularly arbitrary detentions.
In this context, the Mission notes that since his appointment last August as Minister of People's Power for Internal Relations, Justice, and Peace, Diosdado Cabello formally leads the core of the State's repressive apparatus. Cabello continues to publicly threaten any opposition figures, or perceived as such.
Mr. President,
The Mission has continued investigating the deaths recorded in the protests following the presidential elections and analyzing additional evidence regarding possible state agent responsibility in these cases.
In mid-August 2024, the Attorney General stated that numerous inquiries and expert analyses had been conducted regarding the deaths during post-election protests. However, the public information available is minimal and almost exclusively related to the deaths of two members of the Bolivarian National Guard and two government party militants.
Several sources remain reluctant to provide information to the Mission due to fear of reprisals, having been warned by authorities not to disclose any details. Despite this, the Mission has reached preliminary findings in these cases, which it will continue investigating in the coming months.
One such case involves the deaths of seven people during the 29 July protest near the San Jacinto Obelisk in Maracay, Aragua state.
The Mission has analyzed over 80 videos and more than 100 photographs of this incident, confirming that members of the Army and the Bolivarian National Guard, including “CONAS”, who were responsible for controlling the protest, carried firearms, including shotguns, pistols, and rifles, in addition to riot control equipment such as tear gas grenade launchers. Two civilians were killed by gunshots. During these events, First Sergeant Torrents of the Bolivarian National Guard was also killed.
The Mission has identified four generals, one colonel and one lieutenant colonel, from the Army and the Bolivarian National Guard, involved in repressing the protests. Two of them were inside a military installation from which gunshots were fired at protesters.
Additionally, the Mission has initiated investigations into the deaths in state custody of four individuals. Three had been detained between 29 July and 2 August, and their deaths occurred in November and December. The fourth individual was detained in January 2025 and died in February. All deaths were due to health complications while in detention. The Mission has no information on whether the competent authorities have launched any investigations, as required by international law. The Mission reiterates its call for the authorities to provide adequate and timely medical care to all detainees.
The Mission is moreover investigating the death of Edwin Santos, a member of the Voluntad Popular party in Apure State, whose body was found dead on 25 October. Authorities claim it was a traffic accident and publicly announced that a criminal investigation would be launched against anyone challenging this version. The family reported publicly receiving information that Santos was detained on 23 October. The Mission is verifying several elements that challenge the official position in this case.
The Chilean Prosecutor’s Office has made progress in its investigations into the kidnapping, torture, and murder of Lieutenant Ronald Ojeda in Chilean territory in February 2024. According to the latest information, at least six members of a criminal gang called Los Piratas, which operates in Chile as a section of the transnational criminal organization "Tren de Aragua," were brought before a judge on 27 January 2025. This same source publicly reported that one of the detainees identified Diosdado Cabello as the person who ordered the action against Ojeda.
Mr. President,
According to the Mission’s data, between September and December 2024, security and intelligence forces arrested at least 42 opposition figures or perceived as such (41 men and one woman). Among them, there are political leaders and activists, as well as at least 14 journalists.
According to non-governmental sources, at least 84 perceived opposition figures (69 men, 13 women, and two teenagers) were detained in the first half of January, including two social movement leaders and a person with a disability.
For instance, on 7 January, Carlos Correa, president of the NGO Espacio Público, was detained, and his whereabouts remained unknown for nine days until his release. On the same day, Enrique Márquez, former presidential candidate for the Centrados party and former rector of the National Electoral Council, was also arrested. The following day, Ángel Godoy, journalist and director of the political organization Movimiento Democracia e Inclusión, was detained.
The Mission is also investigating cases where family members of opposition political leaders and civil society actors continue to be arrested. For example, on 7 January, Rafael Tudares, the son-in-law of Edmundo González, was arrested while taking his children to school.
The Mission recalls that this March marks one year since six individuals sought refuge in the residence of the Argentine Ambassador in Caracas, where they were granted asylum. One of these individuals died from an illness on 26 February 2025, after being able to leave the residence on 20 December 2024. As of the date of this update, the Venezuelan government has not granted the remaining five individuals the necessary safe-conducts to leave the country, and they continue to endure constant harassment, including restricted access to basic services ordered by authorities.
The Mission calls on this Council to urge the Government to immediately and unconditionally release all arbitrarily detained individuals, including even those arrested before the electoral period.
Mr. President,
In February 2025, President Maduro announced that authorities had detained more than 150 foreign nationals, describing them as "mercenaries." The arrests mainly took place in Venezuelan border states with Colombia, as well as in Caracas, between September 2024 and January 2025. These individuals are primarily of Colombian and U.S. nationality.
In most of these cases, foreign detainees have not been granted access to communicate with a consular office or diplomatic mission of their home state, in violation of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Authorities have also ignored information requests from consulates and diplomatic missions regarding specific cases. Families have also been unable to contact these detained individuals, in some instances, for several months.
On 31 January, a U.S. diplomatic envoy met with President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, and they agreed to the release of six U.S. nationals who had been detained since September 2024.
Mr. President,
As of 3 March, according to figures published by the Public Ministry, 2,006 individuals detained during the post-election protests have been released. Non-governmental sources have reported a much lower figure, estimating only 1,284 released individuals. The official data is not disaggregated by gender, age, or detention center. However, the Mission has obtained information that the vast majority of children and adolescents detained during the post-election protests have been released, with only three adolescent males remaining in custody.
According to the Mission’s analysis of approximately 400 cases, most released individuals were held at the Tocorón and Tocuyito detention centers and are now subject to precautionary measures as alternatives to pretrial detention. In numerous cases, individuals have expressed concern over not knowing the exact measures imposed on them, as they have not been officially notified.
Investigations carried out by the Mission this far demonstrate that several of the arbitrary detentions conducted after the presidential elections were followed by prolonged periods of incommunicado detention and short-term enforced disappearances. This pattern of behavior by security forces has been documented in previous Mission’s reports.
The Mission is also concerned about allegations from recently released individuals regarding their time spent in clandestine detention centers or "safe houses", before being transferred to official facilities.
The Mission has continued investigating allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment committed against detainees after 28 July, carried out both in official detention centers and in these "safe houses."
In one case under investigation, involving a person arbitrarily detained for assisting the opposition at polling stations on 28 July, the Mission has found reasonable grounds to believe he wase tortured during interrogations. This individual suffered beatings with wooden and metal rods on the hands and other parts of the body.
The Mission is also investigating reports from detainees who claim they were transferred to punishment cells or placed in incommunicado detention for weeks after requesting better detention conditions.
Mr. President,
Venezuela's legal framework continues to restrict civic and democratic space. In November 2024, two laws entered into force: the Law on Oversight, Regulation, Performance, and Financing of Non-Governmental Organizations and Social Organizations, and the Organic Law Libertador Simón Bolívar Against Imperialist Blockade and in Defense of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Using explicitly ambiguous language, both laws allow for discretionary restrictions on rights and freedoms and include severe penalties, including, in the case of the Simon Bolivar Law, prison sentences of up to 30 years and political disqualification of up to 60 years.
Mr. President,
The Mission concludes that the crime against humanity of political persecution continues to be committed in connection with the crimes of imprisonment or severe deprivation of physical liberty. The Mission will continue investigating this and other crimes, in accordance with its mandate, and will present to this Council its written report by next September, detailing progress made.
Thank you for your attention.