Tue Sep 17 07:18:26 UTC 2024: ## Venezuela’s Government Intensifies Repression Following Disputed Election: UN Experts
**GENEVA** – Independent UN human rights experts have released a damning report accusing the Venezuelan government of significantly ramping up its repressive apparatus following the disputed July presidential election. The report, compiled by a fact-finding mission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, details widespread human rights violations including arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence.
The experts state that the government has “reactivated and intensified the harshest and most violent mechanisms of its repressive apparatus,” particularly after the election, which many consider undemocratic and aimed at securing President Nicolás Maduro’s continued power.
The report specifically highlights the arrest of over 2,200 people between July 29th and August 6th, including at least 158 children, some with disabilities. The experts view these arrests as part of a “systematic, coordinated, and deliberate repression” to silence dissent.
The Venezuelan government, however, has rejected the findings and does not recognize the mandate of the fact-finding mission.
The report echoes concerns from the UN Secretary-General, the US Secretary of State, and various human rights groups about the deteriorating situation in Venezuela.
The report also details the government’s systematic targeting of opposition leaders, with at least 143 arrests of members from seven opposition parties, including 66 leaders.
“Politically motivated persecution is evident,” said Patricia Tappatá Valdez, a member of the expert team. “These figures represent a level of repression that we have not seen since 2019.”
The independent experts, who have been documenting human rights violations in Venezuela since 2019, have called for the Venezuelan government to cooperate with their investigations and cease its repressive practices. The UN Human Rights Council will discuss the report later this week.
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