Repression continues in Venezuela in the face of ‘appalling’ human rights violations
A UN fact-finding mission reports ongoing torture, arbitrary detentions and systemic repression in Venezuela despite recent government changes, with hundreds still held and scores tortured after January 2026.
The UN Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela documented torture and ill-treatment in military and prison facilities, including forced intubation, underground confinement and food deprivation, describing practices as torture. State institutions responsible for repression and crimes against humanity remain largely unchanged following the US capture of President Nicolás Maduro in early January, the Mission found. Civil society organizations recorded at least 214 arbitrary political detentions between September 2025 and July 2026, with 94 per cent occurring before the end of 2025, and hundreds of detainees still held without transparent information. The Mission identified 64 new cases of torture after January 2026, widespread denial of water, food and healthcare in detention, and at least 19 officials previously linked to abuses remaining in key positions.
The Mission highlighted the continued operation of pro-government armed groups known as colectivos, which continue to intimidate communities and commit abuses despite government changes. Investigators found that laws used to criminalize opposition remain in force and that security and intelligence structures retain the same policies and practices as before. No steps have been taken to disarm or dismantle these groups, and past violations largely go unpunished, according to the report. Journalists and civil society actors continue to face obstruction in their work, the Mission noted. Sofía Macher, Chair of the Mission, stated that reductions in harsh repression do not yet amount to a transformation of the system that enabled it.
Between September 2025 and July 2026, civil society groups documented 214 arbitrary detentions for political reasons, with most occurring before the end of 2025, and an estimated 379 to 500 political prisoners remaining in detention as of July 2026. The Mission reported 64 new cases of torture after January 2026, alongside widespread denial of safe drinking water, adequate food, medicine and healthcare in detention facilities. Hundreds of detainees have died in custody due to these conditions, including Víctor Quero Navas, a street vendor who died in January 2025 after enforced disappearance and was only confirmed dead in May 2026.
The Mission urged Venezuelan authorities to adopt a victim-centered transitional justice framework and to reverse the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Experts called for full cooperation with the Court and other international human rights mechanisms to address ongoing impunity. The report emphasized that systemic reforms are needed to dismantle structures enabling repression and to ensure accountability for past and present violations. The Mission also highlighted the human toll, including the death of Carmen Teresa Navas, who spent 16 months searching for her son before learning of his death and passing away herself shortly after.