The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela expressed on Wednesday its deep concern over the violence and allegations of human rights violations recorded in the country following Sunday’s presidential elections.
Since the partial announcement of the results, thousands of people (including men, women, children and older adults) have taken to the streets and squares of the country to express their disagreement.
The Mission’s experts said in a statement that they had received credible information about arrests, injuries and deaths, as well as violence by security forces and groups of armed civilians supporting the government (known as colectivos) in the context of these protests. The incidents recorded occurred in at least 17 of the country’s 23 states and in the capital district.
Mission President Marta Valiñas said that law enforcement operations “must comply with international human rights standards and norms.”
There is no official data on the deceased.
The Mission has recorded at least six deaths and dozens of injuries, although there are no official figures on this. The Attorney General reported the death of one member of the armed forces and 46 injuries among soldiers and police.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office, for its part, reported the arrest of 749 people to date. While some of these people have been released, others remain in detention, and some face serious charges, such as terrorism offences, the Mission said.
Persecution of opposition leaders
The organization also warned of a “new wave” of persecution against leaders of opposition political parties.
“We are witnessing the accelerated reactivation of the repressive machinery that was never dismantled and is now being used to undermine citizens’ public freedoms and their right to political participation and the free expression of ideas,” said Patricia Tappatá, an expert member of the Mission.
In this regard, the entity expressed its concern about the arrest of the Coordinator of Voluntad Popular, Freddy Superlano, and two other people who accompanied him, by armed hooded individuals on the morning of July 30. “Preliminary information obtained by the Mission indicates that these individuals would be members of SEBIN [Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional]”, they detailed.
Four other leaders of opposition political organizations were arrested in the last few hours. In addition, the Attorney General announced an investigation against the main opposition leader, María Corina Machado, whom he linked to a cyber attack against the National Electoral Council during the election day, the Mission reported.
Investigation of violations
“The authorities must independently, expeditiously, impartially and transparently investigate and punish all allegations of human rights violations and possible crimes committed by subordinates. They must also prevent their commission,” said Francisco Cox, another member of the Mission. He added that “all detentions must be in accordance with international standards on due process.”
“The Mission will continue to monitor and investigate serious human rights violations that occur in the post-electoral context, in accordance with its mandate,” Valiñas said. “This includes analyzing the forces and individuals responsible for these violations,” he explained.
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