- The organization demanded that the Venezuelan authorities allow a peaceful and democratic transition in the country
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held a press conference on Tuesday, November 12, on the human rights situation in Venezuela following the presidential elections on July 28.
Roberta Clarke, president of the IACHR, expressed concern about a “notable” increase in state repression, arbitrary arrests and political persecution in the country after the elections. Clarke indicated that these practices have a serious impact on human rights and democracy.
The spokesperson specified that the National Electoral Council (CNE) has not published the minutes certifying the victory of Nicolás Maduro, which is why she assured that the situation generates uncertainty about the transparency of the electoral process.
The IACHR also expressed concern about the situation of 69 adolescents who are deprived of liberty after the elections and who have been accused of “excessive” and “unfounded” terrorism crimes.
Commissioner José Luis Caballero explained that among the group of teenagers there is a person with autism. He stated that young people have been taken to regular prisons for adults and have not been guaranteed distinctive treatment that ensures their human rights. He mentioned that, in addition, they have been judged as “terrorists”, without the presence of family members and without due legal assistance.
The commission urged the Venezuelan government to recognize the seriousness of the situation and immediately release all people who have been imprisoned for political reasons.
Prison situation
Edgar Stuardo Ralón, IACHR rapporteur on the rights of people deprived of liberty, pointed out that, according to his reports and monitoring work, the prison population in Venezuela faces high overcrowding conditions. Ralón expressed special concern about the situation of women deprived of liberty, pointing out that the overcrowding rate exceeds 832%.
The agency’s rapporteurs reported that they have monitored the situation and have been able to corroborate that the women are subject to “deplorable conditions”, “humiliation”, “mistreatment” and do not have access to “basic conditions.”
“The conditions we have are deplorable. They suffer humiliation and ill-treatment in detention centers. It is a situation that is worth making visible and that we will continue to monitor,” said Ralón.
Special Rapporteur Pedro Vaca reported that, in Venezuela, at least 30 journalists have had their right to freedom of expression violated. Of this number, 11 are deprived of liberty. Vaca pointed out that they also do not enjoy legal guarantees and do not have regular access to lawyers.
The spokesperson also highlighted the exodus of journalists and self-censorship in the coverage of issues of public interest. Vaca pointed out that there are no conditions to carry out an on-site visit due to the human rights crisis in the country.
1,963 political prisoners reported in Venezuela
The non-governmental organization (NGO) Foro Penal reported that there are a total of 1,963 political prisoners for November 8 in Venezuela. Of this number, there are men who were arrested in the context of the post-election protests since July 29.
The NGO published the updated numbers in its X account and warned that, of this figure, 1,801 are civilians and 162 are military. The image of the report also indicates that 1,810 people are still awaiting sentencing.
The criminal forum indicated that the number of citizens arrested in Venezuela for political reasons from 2014 to date is 17,952. Likewise, according to the organization’s figures, more than 9,000 people are still arbitrarily subject to measures restricting their freedom.
The organization denounced on August 23 that Venezuela had the highest number of political prisoners in the history of Venezuela, “at least in the 21st century.” with a total of 1,674 political prisoners.
Among those detained are political leaders, press workers, soldiers, civilians, adolescents, lawyers and human rights activists or defenders.
The organization’s lawyers have denounced that the majority of these political prisoners are accused of the crime of terrorism, a measure that has also been attributed to the adolescents, who, according to Foro Penal, are between 14 and 17 years old. .
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Military personnel. Foro Penal indicated that the majority of these political prisoners face charges related to their opposition to the government, including accusations of terrorism and sedition. The organization has highlighted the dire conditions many of these prisoners are living under, noting reports of torture, inadequate medical care, and lack of proper legal representation.
In addition, the NGO has called for international attention and intervention to address what they describe as a systematic violation of human rights and political repression in Venezuela. Human rights advocates stress the importance of monitoring the treatment of these individuals, as well as advocating for their release and the restoration of democratic processes in the country.
As the situation unfolds, other organizations, including the United Nations and various human rights groups, continue to urge the Venezuelan government to uphold international standards for human rights and to ensure that all citizens, especially political prisoners, are treated fairly and with dignity. The growing concern over the electoral process and subsequent detentions has sparked calls for accountability and reform to improve the transparency and fairness of future elections in Venezuela.
