Rights experts voices grave concern over alleged violations in Venezuela vote

By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS, 5th Sept. UN human rights experts on Wednesday expressed grave concern over allegations of serious human rights violations in Venezuela presidential election.

Over 20 special rapporteurs and rights monitors in a statement noted that groups appointed to monitor the controversial poll, including electoral observers invited by the Government, “reported a lack of transparency and veracity.”

“We found a high degree of defencelessness among citizens, human rights defenders, persons involved in social and community work, journalists, and all persons perceived as opposition”, the experts said.

“Information received indicates that this situation arises within a context characterised by the arbitrary use of the criminal justice system by the Attorney General’s Office against these groups, the criminalization of human rights advocacy, rampant corruption, impunity, and the lack of an independent judiciary capable of investigating serious human rights violations”.

They noted that before, during and after July’s vote, a spate of violations was recorded including arbitrary detentions, excessive use of force against demonstrators, unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, harassment, unlawful dismissals, persecution and prosecution of political opponents.

Many citizens “mobilized peacefully to express their dissatisfaction with electoral irregularities”, the press release stated.

The experts have received reports of over 1,300 arbitrary detentions, including of children, adolescents, elderly, people with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, women, and LGBTIQ+ persons, and also of enforced disappearances.

Over 21 have died, reportedly due to gunfire allegedly by non-state actors, supported by the security forces.

“There is evidence of a systematic pattern of human rights violations, which neglects the full enjoyment of fundamental rights and increases the risk to life for anyone who is critical of the Government,” the experts said.

UN experts have sent 22 letters to the authorities showing a general context of systematic and serious human rights violations.

They said that they received no response.