Harassment and repression: UN accuses Chavista regime of crimes against humanity in 2024 elections

Independent International Mission of united nations For Venezuela said Tuesday that he sees reasonable grounds to believe that Administration Of Nicolas Maduro Committed “crimes against humanityBefore, during, and after the July 28 presidential election, harassment of opponents and repression of post-election protests occurred.

In the 158-page report covering the period from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024, the mission accused security forces and pro-government armed civilian groups. Killings, enforced disappearances, acts of torture, and sexual and gender-based violence,

The document indicates that security forces were “widely involved” in human rights violations such as arbitrary arrests, excessive use of force to suppress protests, or cruel and degrading treatment, and blames civilian intelligence services (Sabin) and military (DGCIM), simultaneously Bolivarian National Guard already national police,

He also assured that “the statements of the highest authorities of the state, especially after July 28, incited repression and contributed to creating an atmosphere of hostility and violence.”

Other institutions highlighted in the report are National Election Councilwhich “failed to adhere to basic measures of transparency and integrity”, the National Assembly, which “facilitated the approval of new laws contrary to human rights and restrictions on civil and democratic space”, or the justice system, which “continued to function Placed “with lack of freedom.”

Although previous reports of the mission, established in 2019, already accused the Venezuelan state of serious human rights violations, the new document highlights that the profile of victims of repression has “significantly increased” in the electoral period , which includes not only the opposition and social leaders. ,

He indicated that in the electoral context, “ordinary citizens also faced ill-treatment for demonstrating their disagreement with the government or with the results of the presidential elections announced by the authorities.”

The mission was headed by a Portuguese jurist. Marta Velinas The report reported that at least 48 people were detained, many of them so-called, in connection with conspiracies perpetrated by the Maduro regime in the 10 months before the election. operation white braceletAnd 121 other arrests were made for supporting opposition activities in the election campaign.

These types of campaigns “serve as justification for the selective repression of the military, politicians and civil society activists,” said the report of the group of experts, formed by Chile in collaboration with Vallinas. francis cox and argentina patricia tappata,

Repression escalated after the election results, when, according to reports, authorities “launched an unprecedented campaign of massive and indiscriminate arrests,” resulting in a number of arrests that could be counted in the thousands, “on the scale of mere protests.” ” 2014, 2017 and 2019″.

According to information from the NGO, 1,905 detainees are considered political prisoners in Venezuela, 38 more than last week, when 1,867 people were deprived of liberty for the same reasons. criminal forum,

Through X, the organization detailed that, out of the total number of detainees, There are 1,669 males and 236 females.of which are 1,838 adults and 67 teenagers between 14 and 17 years of age,

The NGO specified that out of the total number of arrests, 1,767 were created after the July 28 presidential election.When the crisis erupted due to the condemnation of fraud by the largest opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), which claims that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez UrrutiaCompared to the official result, the elected president is the one who held a re-election. Nicolas Maduro,

According to the regime, the post-election crisis triggered protests, which led to, 25 deaths and more than 2,400 prisonersA figure that is significantly higher than that of the Foreo panel.

(with information from EFE)