Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the U.N. Human Rights Council that conditions in Venezuela have continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate over the past year. Photo by Chamila Karunarathne/EPA-EFE
Arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment — particularly during recent elections — are among the human rights violations in Venezuela cited in a United Nations report released this week.
Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the U.N. Human Rights Council that conditions in Venezuela have continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate over the past year.
One of the most troubling incidents occurred ahead of the May 24 parliamentary elections, Türk said, when Venezuelan authorities detained nearly 70 people — including opposition figures, human rights defenders and 17 foreign nationals. They were accused of belonging to a terrorist group allegedly linked to humanitarian organizations.
“The majority of those detained on terrorism-related charges are subjected to judicial proceedings that fall short of international standards,” Türk said.
The high commissioner’s report describes detention conditions as inhumane, citing limited access to medical care, food and drinking water. It also notes that some detainees were placed in isolation after speaking out about their treatment.
After Venezuela’s July 2024 presidential election, at least 28 people were forcibly disappeared, including 12 foreign nationals who have been denied consular access. The report also documents 32 cases of torture and ill-treatment in prison, 15 of which involved minors.
“In light of the ongoing human rights challenges in Venezuela, we urge the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals arbitrarily detained, including human rights defenders Rocío San Miguel, Javier Tarazona, Julio Rojas and Eduardo Torres,” Türk said.
According to non-governmental organizations, such as Foro Penal, more than 1,500 political prisoners have been detained since July 2024, including an estimated 114 minors. The cases cited by Türk have drawn particular international attention.
Rocío San Miguel, a prominent lawyer and human rights advocate. was arbitrarily detained on Feb. 9, 2024, held incommunicado for several days, and later charged with treason, conspiracy and terrorism. She leads Control Ciudadano, a nonprofit that monitors the armed forces and defends human rights in the military sector.
Her arrest triggered widespread international condemnation and was one of the incidents that led to the expulsion of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
She remains in custody, with her legal team reporting she is being held in isolation and subjected to harassment and repeated violations of due process.
Eduardo Torres, a Venezuelan engineer who has served as a technical adviser to democratic opposition campaigns, focusing on logistics and electoral strategy, was arrested in May 2024 during a renewed crackdown on associates of opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Prosecutors accused him of involvement in alleged conspiracy plots and charged him with terrorism, financing terrorism and conspiracy.
The U.N. report also pointed to the ongoing collapse of Venezuela’s public services. In 2024, only about half of students in public schools attended classes regularly. Hospitals, meanwhile, often require patients to supply their own medical materials for surgery.
The country’s already fragile economy has further deteriorated following the shutdown of operations by U.S. oil company Chevron, the report said, fueling a new wave of hyperinflation. The monthly minimum wage — unchanged since March 2022 at 130 bolívares, or less than $1– is no longer enough to cover the cost of a carton of eggs.
Türk also expressed concern for Venezuelans deported from the United States, many of whom face serious risks upon return. He urged the U.S. government to halt these deportations and protect the rights of children and anyone sent to countries “where there is a risk of irreparable harm.”
After Maduro’s government expelled the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights from Venezuela in February 2024, the agency relocated to Panama and Geneva and continues to receive information from national NGOs and clandestine networks of human rights defenders.
