Increasing Struggle for Human Rights in Venezuela

Human rights encompass fundamental entitlements such as the right to life, liberty, and freedom of expression for all individuals. To address this, the United Nations established the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to globally enhance human rights protection and advocacy. Amid allegations of government repression in Venezuela, the government has shut down the UN Human Rights Office in the country. What does this mean about the recent landscape of human rights in Venezuela?

Human Rights in Venezuela

In Venezuela, the UN Human Rights Office has been actively monitoring and reporting on the prevailing human rights conditions within the nation since 2019. Fact-finding mission was also authorized in the same year. It revealed that certain violations and abuses, dating back to at least 2014, constituted a “widespread and systematic attack” targeting the civilian population in Venezuela. 

Recently, Venezuela has been said to be violating human rights amid upcoming elections. In September 2023, a UN mission revealed that Venezuela’s government, gearing up for the 2024 election, had heightened measures that restricted democratic freedoms, documenting 28 cases of torture or degrading treatment, particularly involving prevalent sexual and gender-based violence.

More recently, renowned human rights defender, Rocío San Miguel, was arbitrarily detained on February 9 at Caracas airport. The Attorney General has acknowledged her detention, though there’s no information on her whereabouts. Furthermore, inquiries by her lawyers in Caracas remain unanswered, underscoring the denial of legal representation. 

Venezuela’s UN Human Rights Office Closure

The highlighted cases underscore a troubling pattern of escalating human rights abuses in the country, a situation that may be further exacerbated by the recent shutdown of the UN Human Rights Office in Caracas. On February 15, the Venezuelan government declared the suspension of operations for the local United Nations human rights office, instructing its staff to leave the country. The government accused the office of supporting opposition forces, aiding coup attempts, and functioning as a “private law firm” for those plotting against the country.

“Venezuela requests that the personnel assigned to this office leave the country in the next 72 hours until they publicly rectify before the international community their colonialist, abusive, and violating attitude of the United Nations charter,” said Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, at the press conference. 

Responding to this, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN’s rights office, expressed regret over the decision and mentioned that the agency is currently assessing its next course of action. She further emphasized that the guiding principle of the agency is to advocate for and safeguard the human rights of the people of Venezuela.

Collaboration to Guard Human Rights

The recent closure of the UN Human Rights Office in Venezuela may limit the access to accurate information about the country’s human rights conditions. Given the escalating pattern of abuses, active engagement by a representative from a global human rights body becomes even more crucial for meaningful progress of human rights in Venezuela. 

Preventing the worsening of human rights issues is crucial and demands close collaboration between governments and international communities in challenging situations. This cooperative approach enhances the prospects of addressing existing problems effectively. Furthermore, implementing joint strategies is essential to the shared commitment to the wellbeing and rights of all individuals worldwide.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

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