Venezuela: Civil society organisations and human rights defenders face a torturing environment

Oral statement by Donovan Jimenez Ortega

Human rights defenders and civil society organisations in Venezuela face a torturing environment. The government, as part of State policy, has intentionally promoted actions that systematically restrict freedom of expression and association and the right to defend human rights.

According to independent monitoring by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, we have recorded more than 1,700 attacks against human rights organisations and defenders from January 2022 to October 2024. Of these, over 80% are attributed to the State. In the past year, we have issued more than 20 urgent appeals concerning these situations, denouncing acts of intimidation, threats, harassment, passport cancellations, arbitrary detention, and torture. We have also raised concerns about the approval of restrictive legal frameworks that threaten the work of defending human rights.

We recognise the essential work of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission in documenting this situation. We urge the international community to continue reporting these acts and expressing its concerns, contributing to the search for solutions grounded in international human rights standards and aiming to end this policy of persecution, intimidation, and harassment.

Thank you.