The continuity in positions of power of officials designated by human rights violations It is one of the arguments used by 21 non-governmental organizations to ask the United Nations (UN) to maintain the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela until 2028.
The organizations maintain that Despite the political changes registered since January, The structures linked to repression have not disappeared. In a joint statement released this Monday, they described the Venezuelan context as “volatile” and warned that the social and humanitarian situation “continues to be worrying.”
“Since the serious events of January 2026, some changes have materialized in the conduct of the Venezuelan government, but the policy of repression remains intact in its members, structures and institutions,” the NGOs say in the document, in reference to the political transformation that occurred after the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the arrival of Delcy Rodríguez to the interim presidency.
They warn that designated officials maintain their power in Venezuela
The organizations consider that the permanence of people identified by the UN Mission itself constitutes a sign that there are still reasons to maintain the international investigation mechanism. Among the officials mentioned are the Minister of Interior Relations, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabelloand the Minister of Defense, Gustavo Enrique González, who was in charge of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin).
“Hundreds of people remain arbitrarily detained for political reasons, people identified as possible perpetrators of crimes against humanity continue to hold high-power positions in the government, and the government’s efforts to evade justice at the national and international levels have deepened,” they point out.
The dispute persists over the permanence of the international mission
The declaration was signed by Venezuelan and international organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), Provea, Foro Penal and Espacio Público.
The request comes days after the Mission presented it to the Human Rights Council his most recent evaluation of Venezuela. The mechanism, created in 2019, indicated that officials identified for their alleged participation in human rights violations or crimes against humanity continue to occupy positions of influence in the state apparatus.
The 12 were identified in previous mission reports as being responsible for “committing, ordering, facilitating or contributing to the commission of human rights violations and/or crimes against humanity”.
The NGOs’ approach will be transferred to the international debate on the Venezuelan situation during the UN General Assembly in New York. The organizations demand that the Mission retain its investigative and documentation powers for another two years, at a time when the Human Rights Council must address the continuity of this mechanism.
The Venezuelan government maintains a contrary position. The authorities have advocated an improvement in the human rights situation since the beginning of the year and have cited among their arguments the approval of an amnesty law and the release of up to 8,743 detained people.
