UN accuses Maduro government of crimes against humanity during Venezuela elections

The repression in Venezuela unleashed after the presidential elections has escalated alarmingly. The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission published a report on October 15 accusing the Chavista government of having committed crimes against humanity in the period before, during, and after the ballot held on July 28, which the opposition presumably won. President Nicolás Maduro refuses to recognize defeat and has assured that he will take office again on January 10, 2025. Over the past three months, the international community has tried to seek a negotiated solution with Maduro and the rest of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) leaders, but so far without success.

Hours before the appearance of the document, Maduro dismissed the heads of the intelligence services — the civilian branch (Sebin) and the military branch (DGCIM) — in a move welcomed with surprise among the Chavismo hierarchy. The announcement came after Diosdado Cabello, the number two Chavista official, took office as Minister of Internal Relations, Justice and Peace. It also underlines that something is moving within the Chavista structure after its failure in the elections: the ruling party was obliged to win and to show the world that its victory was unquestionable in order to return to the international stage, both in political and economic terms, and thus pull Venezuela out of the international isolation in which it exists due to Maduro’s lack of legitimacy.

Nothing has turned out as expected by the president and his followers, firstly because they suffered a defeat at the polls which they had not counted on, as they had faith in the mobilization capacity of their support bases: the large number of public employees and the companies who do business with the state. But that proved insufficient. Secondly, there was no plan B in case of defeat, as was evidenced, making it impossible to cover up a fraud that was clearly exposed.

Even among the most powerful PSUV leaders loyal to Maduro, there have been some striking disagreements. Minister of Foreign Affairs Yván Gil has publicly disavowed Attorney General Tarek William Saab, one of the enforcers of the repression and a strong man in the ruling party since the era of Hugo Chávez, to whom he wrote verses when El Comandante was imprisoned for an attempted coup d’état. A day earlier in a televised speech, Saab accused Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of being in cahoots with the CIA. Gil said that Saab’s statements were made “in a personal capacity” and that at no time do they reflect “the opinion of the national executive.” Saab himself has apologized. A public disavowal at this level is unusual in Chavismo.

Operation Tun Tun

The document highlights above all the persecution of opponents and the repression exercised by the security forces against people who took to the streets in protest after the disputed election when it became clear that Chavismo was not going accept the result and intended to remain in power at any cost. The accusations point directly to the National Police and the Bolivarian National Guard, but also to Sebin and the DGCIM, which are considered responsible for tortures, rapes, murders, and forced disappearances. Such cases have been perpetrated against members and leaders of opposition figurehead María Corina Machado’s party, but also by ordinary citizens expressing their discontent over the elections.

UN officials published a preliminary report a month ago that anticipated the second one, in which it was stated that Maduro had intensified the machinery of repression after the presidential elections. The new report adds that there was not only persecution after the vote, but that before and during the campaign itself excesses were committed that clouded the entire electoral process. The UN mission has been investigating the situation in Venezuela since 2019, the year in which then-United Nations High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet visited the country, spoke with Maduro and the victims, and set up an office with her team installed.

The UN rapporteurs explain that many of the arrests took place during the so-called “Operation Tun Tun,” a reference to a Christmas song in which someone appears unexpectedly at the door. This has been a common way of generating panic among the population. Some detainees were tracked down after expressing their opinions on X, Instagram, or TikTok. Bolivarian National Guards would show up unannounced at their homes and take them away.

The most recurrent accusation against these detainees was the crime of terrorism, a vague typification through which the accused enters a judicial labyrinth in which they cannot defend themselves, simply because there is no indictment. Currently, there is no due process in Venezuela. “The detentions and the judicial proceedings that followed suffered from serious and systematic violations of due process. In most cases, the detentions were carried out without a warrant, without a clear legal basis, and/or without informing the detainee of the reason for the detention. The 48-hour time limit for bringing the detainees before a supervisory court was often not respected, and hearings were held without publicity, without lawyers of the detainees’ choice, and in the evening or early hours of the morning,” the report reads.

The repression went even further. The houses of people “perceived as opponents were marked with an ‘X’, and a mobile app encouraged supporters of the Government to report and denounce alleged opponents.” The UN also warns of a phenomenon it considers new and of particular concern: “The mission obtained information on the detention of 158 children (130 boys and 28 girls) during or after the protests, who were charged with serious offences such as terrorism.” The UN defines children as anybody under 18 years of age.

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