Venezuela: Alarm Over The Detention Of Hundreds Of People
Venezuela has been experiencing a deep and multidimensional human rights crisis for at least ten years. During this time, Amnesty International has reported serious human rights violations, including crimes against humanity, and a complex humanitarian emergency, which have caused more than 25% of the population to flee the country.
On 28 July, Venezuela saw a massive turnout for the presidential elections, despite a pre-election environment characterized by persecution, censorship and threatening discourse. When voting ended, the electoral authorities declared Nicolás Maduro the winner. However, the opposition claimed that this result was not supported by the data they had collected during the election. The electoral authority has not published official results, as required by Venezuelan law. Since then, mass demonstrations have broken out across the country in support of the opposition's claims. The state authorities have responded with a policy of large-scale repression, including the use of lethal and less lethal force, which has resulted in at least 11 deaths, mostly of young people, including two teenagers; mass politically motivated arbitrary detentions; possible torture of key opposition figures; illegal home raids with excessive use of force; mobilization of pro-government armed groups (colectivos) and non-uniformed security forces; and a highly stigmatizing discourse against political activists, human rights defenders and NGOs. Developments in the country are highly dynamic and volatile, with the number of human rights violations increasing by the hour and public statements being issued constantly by all actors, both national and international.
The months leading up to these elections have seen relentless attacks on civic space, dozens of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, reprisals against businesses and small traders providing services to opposition figures, and arbitrary and abusive administrative measures. These violations are long-standing concerns that Amnesty International has been documenting and campaigning on for years.
The events that are currently unfolding fall within existing patterns of crimes against humanity on a very worrying scale that merits an international response. In this regard, the ongoing investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court would have jurisdiction to investigate the perpetrators of possible acts of detention, torture, gender-based violence and persecution committed in the context of the elections. All authorities responsible for these crimes, including the chain of command, can and must be brought to justice in impartial and independent courts, with full guarantees of a fair trial.