Venezuela’s Govt Accused of Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity in Latest UN Report

The mission urged the Venezuelan government to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, hold those responsible accountable, and provide reparations to the victims' families.

The United Nations Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Venezuela has presented its latest findings to the Human Rights Council, revealing that the government of Nicolás Maduro continues to engage in systematic persecution on political grounds. These actions, linked to arbitrary detentions and other grave violations, have been classified as crimes against humanity, raising international alarm over the escalating repression in the country.

The FFM reported that between September and December 2024, at least 42 individuals, including opposition figures, human rights defenders, and journalists, were arbitrarily detained. This trend has intensified in early 2025, with 84 additional arrests recorded in just the first half of January. Some of these detentions have included enforced disappearances, where individuals are taken into custody without official acknowledgment of their whereabouts.

Targeting of Political Opponents and Civil Society

“The Venezuelan Government continues to orchestrate a harsh repression against persons perceived as political opponents or simply because they express dissent or critical views against the authorities,” stated Marta Valiñas, Chair of the FFM.

Among those detained are activists who have been outspoken against the government, journalists reporting on human rights abuses, and members of opposition parties. The FFM raised concerns that detainees are often held under incommunicado conditions, denied access to legal representation and medical attention, and subjected to ill-treatment.

International Concerns Over Detention of Foreign Nationals

The report also highlighted the troubling case of at least 150 foreign nationals who have been detained under accusations of conspiring against the Venezuelan government. The families of these individuals, as well as their respective governments, remain in the dark about their fate.

“Diplomatic efforts to communicate with detained persons are ignored by the Government of Nicolás Maduro, contrary to international law,” said Francisco Cox, an FFM expert. He emphasized that the conditions of detention are a flagrant violation of both national and international legal frameworks, with detainees held in complete isolation and deprived of their basic rights.

Extrajudicial Killings During Post-Electoral Protests

The UN mission also provided details of a post-election protest in Aragua state in July 2024, where seven demonstrators were killed. According to the FFM’s findings, security forces opened fire on demonstrators without warning from inside a military facility, where personnel from the National Bolivarian Guard and the Venezuelan Army were stationed.

“The FFM has identified three generals who were involved in the public order control operation of this protest, and two senior officers who were inside the military installation from which gunshots were fired at protesters,” said Patricia Tappatá, an FFM expert.

The mission urged the Venezuelan government to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, hold those responsible accountable, and provide reparations to the victims' families.

Call for Immediate Action and International Response

In light of these findings, the FFM has called on the Human Rights Council to pressure Venezuela’s government to immediately release all arbitrarily detained individuals. It has also demanded that detainees be granted proper medical care, legal representation, and communication with their families while in custody.

The UN’s report underscores the continued deterioration of Venezuela’s human rights situation, which has drawn widespread international condemnation. The United States, the European Union, and several Latin American countries have already imposed sanctions on key Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations.

However, despite mounting international pressure, the Maduro administration has consistently denied allegations of systematic repression, dismissing UN reports as politically motivated.

With the FFM’s findings reinforcing previous accusations of crimes against humanity, the global community faces renewed calls to take decisive action in addressing the ongoing crisis in Venezuela.