Venezuelan authorities have canceled the passports of at least 40 people without explanation, most of whom are human rights activists and journalists, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. According to the Financial Times, the human rights group Laboratorio de Paz (LDP) warned that the number is likely to be even higher and excludes those whose passports have been confiscated at Simón Bolívar International Airport.
The LDP sees the targeted annulment of journalists’ and activists’ passports as a clear continuation of the repression of political dissent that has followed President Nicolás Maduro’s reelection. LDP co-director Rafael Uzcátegui told the Financial Times, “the government has found that passport cancellation is an effective way to neutralise and muffle critical voices with minimal effort.”
Maduro’s reelection was marked by a raft of post-election protests that saw over 2,400 people detained. The protests garnered widespread criticism from human rights organizations for unprecedented displays of violence and arbitrary detainment at the hands of Venezuelan authorities. Human Rights Watch described the heavy-handed tactics employed by authorities as “shockingly brutal” and a clear breach of the right to peaceful protest. Amidst the protests, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) described a “climate of fear” that took hold following the issue of an arrest warrant for opposing presidential candidate Edmundo González.
The latest news of repression in Venezuela comes off the tail of a further push for accountability from the international community. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Fact-Finding Mission in Venezuela and the mandate of the OHCHR. Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, said:
It is encouraging to see the world took note of the human cost of exercising civil and political rights in Venezuela and ensured the Council sustains its scrutiny and commitment to accountability ahead of a new electoral period in 2025.
