In brief
Volker Türk, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, raised alarms over ongoing reports of torture in Venezuela's detention centers. Following the ousting of President Nicolás Maduro, allegations remain that human rights violations and arbitrary detentions continue under new leadership. An amnesty law was recently passed, yet many detainees, including children, remain trapped in arbitrary situations, revealing systemic human rights concerns that persist despite government reassurances.
Reports alleging that detainees have continued to be tortured in Venezuela following the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces in January are concerning, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, says. Maduro has been replaced in power by one of his loyal allies, former Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, under whose leadership an amnesty bill has been passed into law.Türk welcomed the amnesty law but warned that structural and systemic human rights concerns have persisted in Venezuela despite Maduro's ousting. Venezuelan officials have not yet reacted publicly to Türk's remarks but have in the past dismissed allegations of torture as politically motivated.Türk said many Venezuelans remained in arbitrary detention despite the passing of the amnesty law last month, noting a child among those arbitrarily detained. Last week, the Venezuelan parliament, dominated by Maduro loyalists, claimed that over 7,700 people had been granted full freedom under the amnesty law. However, rights group Foro Penal could confirm the release of fewer than 700 detainees, highlighting a significant gap in numbers and urging greater transparency from the Venezuelan authorities.Türk emphasized the need for unfettered access to detention facilities, stating that his office had received information about the continued torture and mistreatment of detainees, including in the Rodeo 1 and Fuerte Guaicaipuro detention centres. His concerns were echoed by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, which continues to document severe human rights violations in the country's detention centers.
