Amnesty International has released a report alleging that the Venezuelan government is systematically employing enforced disappearances to suppress political opposition. The report documents 15 cases of individuals who vanished between the July 2024 election and June 2025, with 11 still unaccounted for. The disappeared include protesters, journalists, activists, opposition party members, and several foreign nationals accused of plotting against the state.
Venezuela is a signatory to both the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearances of Persons. These treaties define enforced disappearance as the deprivation of liberty by state agents, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the detention or disclose the individual’s fate. Amnesty International concludes that Venezuelan authorities are conducting “a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population,” constituting crimes against humanity since at least 2014.
In 2019, Amnesty International reported on the Venezuelan state’s excessive use of violence against perceived opponents, including arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial executions. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights echoed these concerns in a February 2025 report, urging Venezuela to cease enforced disappearances and adhere to international law.
Human Rights Watch has also documented widespread abuses following the July 2024 presidential elections, including killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions targeting protesters, opposition leaders, and critics. The organization calls for international accountability efforts and the release of those arbitrarily detained.
Amnesty International urges the International Criminal Court and Venezuelan national courts to investigate and prosecute those responsible, including high-ranking officials. The organization emphasizes that the international community must not relent in its pressure to address these human rights violations.