A group of independent UN experts on Friday urged the Venezuelan government to account for victims of enforced disappearance in connection with protests around the country’s presidential election in July 2024 and the subsequent inauguration in January 2025.
The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances expressed concern over an increasing number of enforced disappearances, particularly targeting opposition figures, pro-democracy activists, and human rights defenders, emphasizing that such disappearances are used as a tool of repression, fostering fear and discouraging political participation. A 2023 US State Department report revealed the primary involvement of security forces, including the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and the General Directorate of Military Counter-Intelligence (DGCIM).
The UN experts described a systematic pattern of short-term enforced disappearances, noting that Venezuelan authorities, including intelligence and military agencies, have played a role in detaining individuals and refusing to disclose their whereabouts. The experts called on Venezuela to comply with precautionary measures issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and to provide information on the fate and location of disappeared individuals.
They also highlighted reports indicating that authorities frequently dismiss or refuse to process habeas corpus applications and complaints from families of the disappeared. They urged authorities to sanction those responsible and eradicate enforced disappearances as a gross violation of human rights under international law.
The working group has also attempted to engage with the Venezuelan government regarding these issues but has been denied access to the country. The group added that “persons deprived of their liberty should be guaranteed the enjoyment of all fundamental legal safeguards, including the right to communicate with and be visited by their relatives and lawyers, and to be brought before a competent judicial authority within the statutory period to determine the lawfulness of their detention.”
Venezuela is a signatory country to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The convention requires its state parties to criminalize enforced disappearance, defined as the deprivation of liberty with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the country, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared victims.
Venezuela has yet to respond to the UN’s latest appeal. With the upcoming election and the future of Venezuela hanging in the balance, the UN experts called for urgent action to protect human rights and restore the rule of law. They reiterated their willingness to assist the Venezuelan government in implementing international human rights standards and urged authorities to ensure that political processes remain free from repression and fear.
The country is witnessing unrest after Maduro’s re-election. The alleged lack of electoral transparency attracted thousands of protesters supporting the opposition candidate. The IACHR documented extensive human rights violations following the authorities’ crackdown on post-election protests. Another independent UN fact-finding mission in January also urged Venezuela to respect the right to life of aa Venezuelans ahead of the presidential inauguration.
