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Venezuelan authorities have been committing widespread abuses against protesters, opposition members, and critics in the aftermath of the July 28, 2024, presidential elections, Human Rights Watch reported.
On September 4, 2024, the organization urged Venezuelan authorities to allow independent verification of the election results and called on the international community to support efforts ensuring accountability for these abuses.
Following the elections, on July 29, 2024, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council announced the re-election of Nicolás Maduro as president. This announcement sparked serious concerns among international observers, particularly as thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets in largely peaceful protests, demanding a fair vote count.
Human Rights Watch documented widespread abuses carried out by Venezuelan authorities and pro-government armed groups against protesters and critics after the elections. These violations included killings, arbitrary detentions, harassment, and prosecutions. Notably, on September 2, 2024, a judge issued an arrest warrant for opposition candidate Edmundo González on charges of “conspiracy,” “incitement to disobedience,” and other crimes.
Juanita Gubertos, director of the Americas division at Human Rights Watch, described the repression as “shockingly brutal” and called on governments to take urgent action to ensure that people can protest peacefully and have their voices respected.
Human Rights Watch received credible reports of 24 deaths related to the protests, including 23 protesters and bystanders, and one member of the Bolivarian National Guard, independently verified 11 of these cases by reviewing death certificates, verifying videos and photos, and interviewing 20 witnesses and local sources.
What Happened in the Venezuelan Elections?
Despite the irregularities and human rights violations that preceded the July 28 presidential election, including the arrest of opposition members and the exclusion of certain candidates, Venezuelans turned out in large numbers to vote. There were also restrictions on Venezuelans voting abroad.
Just a few hours after the polls closed, Venezuela’s electoral council announced that Maduro had won with more than 51 percent of the vote. However, the council failed to release the official ballot count or conduct the required verification of votes. Both the U.N. technical election team and the Carter Center, which monitored the election, criticized the process for lacking transparency and fairness and questioned the reliability of the published results.
In response, Venezuelans took to the streets across the country, with particularly strong protests in traditionally pro-opposition, low-income areas. Numerous incidents of repression occurred during these protests.
Venezuelan authorities claim to have arrested more than 2,400 people in connection with the demonstrations. The local nonprofit Foro Penal documented the arrest of over 1,580 political prisoners since July 29, including 114 children. Prosecutor
s have charged hundreds of individuals with severe and broad crimes, such as “incitement to hatred,” “resistance to authority,” and “terrorism.”
The Venezuelan government has also revoked the passports of critics to prevent them from leaving the country, encouraged citizens to report protesters, and conducted raids, which Human Rights Watch called “offensive.” Additionally, on August 15, pro-Maduro lawmakers in the National Assembly passed a law granting the government sweeping powers to control and shut down NGOs.
Calls for Election Verification
The governments of Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico have called for talks with Venezuela. On August 16, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States unanimously approved a resolution urging Venezuelan authorities to release the constituency-level results, conduct an impartial investigation, and respect human rights.
The European Union, the United States, and several Latin American and European countries have also urged the Venezuelan government to announce and respect the election results and guarantee the rights of opposition leaders, protesters, and critics.
Human Rights Watch emphasized that governments should support efforts to ensure accountability for serious abuses in Venezuela, including through the ongoing investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The organization also recommended targeted sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations.
International Reactions and Recommendations
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights considers acts of terrorism to include the intimidation or coercion of populations or governments through threats or violence, potentially resulting in death, serious injury, or hostage-taking. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has urged action to prevent such acts, stop the financing of terrorist networks, and counter their operations to prevent future human rights violations.
Amnesty International has stressed that the right to freedom of expression is a fundamental right that must be protected from those who fear change. Both Amnesty and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have noted that the right to free expression poses a threat to oppressive governments, who often seek to suppress demonstrations.
These organizations also emphasize the importance of protecting peaceful activists and their rights, in accordance with human rights laws. They urge the Venezuelan government to review its laws on “resistance to authority” and call for free and fair elections or an impartial investigation of the current electoral results.
