A group of independent UN experts has called on Venezuela to address the issue of enforced disappearances linked to the nation’s presidential election in July 2024 and the subsequent January 2025 inauguration. The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has expressed substantial concern regarding the upwards trend of enforced disappearances, which have primarily impacted opposition figures, pro-democracy activists, and human rights defenders.
The enforced disappearances are reportedly utilized as a repressive tool to instill fear and dissuade political engagement. A 2023 US State Department report highlighted the involvement of Venezuelan security forces, including the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and the General Directorate of Military Counter-Intelligence (DGCIM), in these practices.
UN experts have noted a pattern of short-term enforced disappearances, with Venezuelan authorities often detaining individuals without revealing their locations. The Working Group urged Venezuela to adhere to precautionary measures issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared persons.
In addition, there have been reports indicating that Venezuelan authorities are dismissing or refusing to process habeas corpus applications and complaints from the families of the disappeared. The experts have called on the authorities to hold the responsible parties accountable and to eradicate enforced disappearances as a severe breach of human rights under international law.
Despite the gravity of these allegations, the Working Group’s efforts to communicate with the Venezuelan government have been hindered by restrictions on their access to the country. They underscored that individuals deprived of liberty should be afforded all fundamental legal protections, including communication with family and legal counsel, and swift judicial review of detention legality.
Venezuela, a signatory to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, is required to criminalize enforced disappearance and reject practices that involve clandestinely withholding the fate or whereabouts of detained individuals.
As the nation faces unrest after President Maduro’s reelection, including alleged irregularities in the electoral process, the situation remains tense. The IACHR has documented extensive human rights violations following the government’s crackdown on post-election protests, urging Venezuelan authorities to respect human rights ahead of the presidential inauguration.