By UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
At Oral update to the Human Rights Council on Venezuela Palais des Nations
Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
Since my last update in June, the situation in Venezuela has not improved. We continue to see sweeping restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances; as well as acute social and economic strain.
In September and November, the Government adopted legislation granting itself expanded emergency powers, citing external threats. The content of these new laws remains unpublished, shielding them from scrutiny and preventing any assessment of their compatibility with international law.
The crackdown on civic space has intensified, suffocating people’s freedoms.
Public life is becoming further militarized, increasing the risk of violence in a society already grappling with high levels of crime. My Office has received reports of coerced enlistment into the Bolivarian Militia – including of adolescents and older people.
Equally shocking are accounts that authorities are encouraging people to report on their relatives, neighbours, and colleagues through a State-sponsored mobile application. Such policies breed fear, mistrust, and self-censorship.
Last year’s NGO oversight law continues to hinder civil society’s ability to work safely and freely.
Journalists, human rights defenders, opposition figures, and even humanitarian workers continue to face threats, harassment, and the risk of arbitrary detention – simply for doing their jobs.
Many are being driven out of the country by intimidation and persecution. When human rights defenders and journalists leave, truth and accountability leave with them.
Several journalists remain arbitrarily detained, and hundreds of people are imprisoned for political reasons. The recent detention of the Secretary-General of the main trade union sent a chilling signal to workers across the country.
The use of broad and vague counter-terrorism laws and rhetoric opens the door to serious violations.
I remain deeply concerned about detention conditions, with persistent lack of food and medicine and the denial of family visits. These conditions cost detainees their physical and mental health and, in some cases – their lives.
My Office has documented at least five deaths of people detained in connection with the 2024 presidential elections. All these must be promptly and independently investigated, including the most recent death of the opposition politician Alfredo Díaz, whose health reportedly deteriorated sharply in custody.
We have also observed a rise in transfers of detainees to unknown locations, with some amounting to enforced disappearance. In three detention centres – Helicoide, Rodeo I, and Fuerte Guaicaipuro – people continue to be held incommunicado, without contact with relatives or lawyers, in flagrant violation of their basic rights.
I note the release of at least 51 people since my last update – including political opposition members, foreign nationals, and people in poor health – and that at least 23 foreign nationals have been granted consular visits.
Excellencies,
It pains me to report that the Venezuelan authorities have stepped up reprisals against family members of those perceived to be voicing dissent – both at home and abroad. Since July, my Office has documented the detention of at least 17 people – most of them women, children, and older people – in connection with the activities of their relatives. The fate and whereabouts of 12 more family members remain unknown.
I urge the unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained for their civic engagement – including Rocío San Miguel, Javier Tarazona, Carlos Julio Rojas, Eduardo Torres, and Kennedy Tejeda – their family members, and four adolescents who remain in custody after the 2024 elections.
I also call on the Venezuelan authorities to safeguard freedom of expression, ensure a safe environment for media and civil society, and guarantee that all human rights violations are investigated and redressed.
Enforced disappearances, incommunicado detention, and unauthorized transfers must end. Detention conditions must be humane and comply with international standards.
I am very concerned that there are attempts to strip certain opposition figures of their Venezuelan nationality, and I remind the authorities that arbitrary deprivation of nationality is unlawful.
Indigenous Peoples, their rights, and their territories continue to be targeted. Several Indigenous leaders have been killed over the past years, including Virgilio Trujillo, Joaquín Hernández, and, most recently, Cesáreo Panapera. Many investigations remain unresolved.
I would also like to reiterate the disproportionate impact that broad sectoral sanctions have on the most vulnerable, as well as their adverse effects on the work of some human rights and humanitarian organizations. I call for the sanctions to be reassessed and lifted.
Mr. President,
While the authorities continue their repression, the Venezuelan people have their own daily battle – against poverty and hunger.
Inequality and prices race upwards. The International Monetary Fund projects that inflation will reach 270 percent in 2025. The minimum monthly salary is more than 1,000 times less than the monthly cost of the basic food basket.
Families must choose between buying food or medication. Many lack access to education and healthcare. And even this is an incomplete picture, as the official economic data is scarce.
Organizations that provide relief are struggling to navigate vague, but strict regulations.
Distinguished delegates,
I cannot ignore the mounting tensions and challenges facing Venezuelans in a precarious regional situation. I am deeply concerned about the human rights impact of intensifying US military pressure.
History has shown, time and again, that when confrontation escalates, it is often ordinary people who are caught in the crossfire. Not criminals. Not those in power. Ordinary people.
I reiterate my call to the United States to use well-established law-enforcement methods to counter the serious issue of illicit drug trafficking.
I encourage all States hosting or receiving Venezuelan migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers to ensure their international protection, given the perilous human rights situation in the country.
I have visited Venezuela, I spoke with its people, and I feel for them. I feel for those waiting desperately for news about their loved ones; for parents separated from their children; and for all those whose tables will remain empty during the coming holiday season.
Venezuelan society needs healing. It needs justice and human rights to overcome polarization and repair its social and economic fabric.
My Office has long stood ready to support this process. But I regret to inform you that I no longer have any international staff left in the country.
We have made every possible effort to restore our presence – including requesting visas and engaging with the authorities – but, unfortunately, without success.
Excellencies,
I do not believe in points of no return. My Office is always open to constructive engagement, and I hope the authorities will promptly enable my colleagues to resume all our activities in the country.
The suffering of the Venezuelan people must end.
Thank you.
