- According to the NGO, the attack by state security forces against protesters was evident in 915 protests recorded throughout the country since July 29 | Main photo: EFE
The Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict (OVCS) warned on Wednesday, August 14, that the “repression” during the post-election protests “threatens to silence” the most vulnerable voices in society.
“These post-election protests have emerged mainly from the depths of the poorest neighborhoods, former bastions of Chavismo, challenging the official narrative and facing brutal repression that threatens to silence the most vulnerable voices in Venezuelan society,” the OVCS said in a report published on its website.
The organization indicated that between July 29 and 30, 2024, it documented 915 protests in Venezuela, following the announcement of the result by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which granted victory to Nicolás Maduro.
Protests in popular areas
He also said that 80% of these protests took place in poor and working-class areas, “traditionally affected by the government” and, he added, 75% of the “repressed” protests occurred in poor neighborhoods.
“This appears to be a deliberate strategy to silence those who suffer the most from the consequences of the complex humanitarian emergency, who are currently demanding transparency and the delivery of the electoral records,” the report added.
The OVCS said the “criminalization” of protest undermines the “basic principles of civic and democratic space and flagrantly violates international human rights treaties to which Venezuela is a signatory.”
On Tuesday 13 August, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk denounced “the high and continued number of arbitrary arrests” and “disproportionate use” of force reported following protests against the official result of the 28 July presidential election, claims rejected by the government.
“It is particularly worrying that so many people are being arrested, charged or accused of inciting hatred or under anti-terrorism legislation. Criminal law must never be used to unduly restrict rights,” said Türk.
According to state sources, more than 2,400 people have been arrested since July 29 – some in demonstrations and others in police operations – while 25 people died in acts of violence that the government attributes to the opposition, while anti-Chavez supporters blame the state security forces, on orders from their superiors.
Opposition leaders denounce political persecution
In addition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) has denounced that its leaders have been victims of political persecution “at inhuman levels” following the elections of July 28, whose official result ratified the victory of Nicolás Maduro, which anti-Chavez supporters view as fraudulent.
“Over the past few days, political repression and persecution has reached inhuman and critical levels, with dozens of teenagers and hundreds of women and men being kidnapped for expressing their desire for change and a better future,” the X (formerly Twitter) bloc warned.
The PUD, which claims that its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the elections by a wide margin, welcomed the statement made on August 9 by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in which it called for the release of those who have been victims of “arbitrary detentions.”
“Following González Urrutia’s electoral victory, it is our duty to continue to raise our voices and these types of statements are important contributions that help our democratic and peaceful cause,” added the bloc, which published “83.5% of the electoral records” to support its claim of fraud in the elections.
According to the NGO Foro Penal, which leads the defense of those considered political prisoners in the country, as of Saturday there are still 1,393 verified arrests, produced in the post-electoral situation, which includes 182 women, 117 adolescents, 14 indigenous people and 16 people with disabilities.
With information from EFE
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2024-08-15 05:04:11