© Image by DavidRockDesign / Pixabay
At the Human Rights Council, UN experts, civil society and the majority of participating States delivered a key message to the Venezuelan government: stop all repression, enable the work of human rights defenders and respect human rights.
At this Council session, the UN’s Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela and the High Commissioner for Human Rights both shone light on the impact of repression on a deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation in Venezuela. Crimes against humanity continue, said the Fact-Finding Mission, and impunity reigns.
Enforced disappearance – an abhorrent crime carried out by State agents to spread fear and silence dissent – was highlighted as one of the repressive tactics employed in Venezuela. The High Commissioner noted cases against ‘members of opposition parties, journalists, human rights defenders, foreign nationals, as well as humanitarian workers’.
Grave concerns about the restrictions on civic space were echoed by several States and civil society organisations during the interactive dialogue with the Fact-Finding Mission. Several spoke of the ‘NGO law’ and ‘Simon Bolivar Law’ creating unacceptable restrictions on the right to freedom of association.
ISHR and several other NGOs called for the immediate release of human rights defenders who continue to be arbitrarily detained, including Javier Tarazona, Rocío San Miguel, Kennedy Tejeda, and Julio Rojas.
'Venezuelan human rights defenders, both in and outside the country are under huge pressure. They provide a clear vision and roadmaps for transition and reconstruction based on respect for human rights. Their work must be supported urgently politically and financially.'Eleanor Openshaw, ISHR Programme Director
The connections between the failure to respect basic human rights – including those fundamental to the work of defenders – was highlighted by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri. He presented his report following his visit to Venezuela in February 2024. The Special Rapporteur emphasised the need to enhance public transparency and guarantee access to information to relevant policies and to regularly publish accurate, disaggregated and verifiable data.
In its statement, ISHR made the connection between ongoing repression and the severe humanitarian crisis in the country. Repression and a failure to respect access to information hinders efforts to address the crisis.
Concluding its statement, ISHR urged all States: ‘Don’t look away from the human rights and humanitarian crises in Venezuela. Please keep active and committed to human rights change in the country.’
Civil society urges States to ensure a resolution at the upcoming 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council addresses the protection of human rights defenders from emerging risks resulting from technological trends and shifting online spaces.
Stolen Presidential elections, the use of deeply repressive tactics by State agents against real and perceived opponents, and the recent return of OHCHR to Caracas informed today’s dialogue on Venezuela between the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council.
At the review of Burkina Faso’s periodic report to the African Commission, ISHR noted a worrying trend of arrests, conscription, and abductions of human rights defenders, some of whom are deployed to the battlefield.
