A United Nations fact-finding mission has concluded that “there are no indicators of structural reforms or change” to improve the human rights situation in Venezuela, indicating that despite the removal of its leader in January, little has substantively changed on the ground. The mission’s report represents one of the first international assessments of rights under the nascent presidency of interim leader Delcy Rodriguez.
Mission member Maria Eloisa Quintero, in remarks to the UN Human Rights Council, questioned whether Venezuela’s leadership would face accountability for its record of abuses. She pointed to ongoing violations under Rodriguez’s government, sworn in on January 5, noting that “civic and democratic space remains severely restricted” and that “the prospects for full guarantees necessary for free and democratic elections remain remote.”
The mission documented at least 87 detentions since January, including 14 journalists temporarily held while covering Rodriguez’s inauguration and 27 individuals reportedly arrested for celebrating the fall of former President Nicolas Maduro. Alarmingly, at least 15 of the recent arrests involved children. Quintero emphasized that while initial steps under Rodriguez “appeared encouraging,” such as the release of some political prisoners, these were undermined by narrow amnesty laws and unverified government claims.
Critically, Quintero stated that the U.S. military operation to abduct Maduro in early January “violated international law,” and while Maduro may be responsible for crimes against humanity, this does not justify unlawful intervention. She warned that the repressive “machinery” of the state is merely “mutating” under Rodriguez, with key institutions and legal instruments for political persecution remaining intact. The mission called for “a far deeper and more enduring transformation” to ensure an end to years of repression.
The report highlights the complex and deteriorating human rights landscape, where the U.S.-backed transition has failed to deliver meaningful reform, and the Venezuelan population continues to face arbitrary detentions, intimidation, and a lack of democratic guarantees under the new administration.
Source: www.aljazeera.com