“Human rights abuses by state intelligence agencies, orchestrated at the highest political level, took place in a climate of almost total impunity,” committee member Francisco Cox said in a statement.
Venezuela’s intelligence services are committing crimes against humanity in order to suppress the opposition on orders from the top of the regime, according to a report by UN experts released today.
“Our investigations and analysis show that the Venezuelan state relies on its intelligence services and agents to suppress dissent in the country. In doing so, serious crimes and human rights violations are committed, mainly acts of torture and sexual violence,” he complains. Marta Valinas, President of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Venezuela.
The conclusions presented today detail the chain of command and the role of various individuals in the “execution of an orchestrated plan by President Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking officials to suppress opposition to the government,” the mission said in a press release.
The mission documented 122 cases of victims “subjected to torture, sexual violence and/or other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” by agents of the military counterintelligence services (DGCIM).
“Torture took place at its headquarters in Boleita in Caracas and in a network of secret detention centers throughout the country,” the commission said.
For its part, the national intelligence service (SEBIN), “tortured or ill-treated detainees — including opposition politicians, journalists, protesters and human rights defenders — mainly at the El Helicoide detention center in Caracas.”
The mission has investigated at least 51 cases since 2014.
“SEBIN and DGCIM both resorted extensively to sexual and sexist violence in order to torture and humiliate their detainees.”
“The violations and crimes committed by SEBIN and DGCIM continue to this day,” the report notes.
“Human rights abuses by state intelligence agencies, orchestrated at the highest political level, took place in a climate of almost total impunity,” committee member Francisco Cox said in a statement.
In addition to its findings on the role of intelligence services, the commission is also releasing a report on crimes and extortion against the local population in the country’s gold-rich belts “by state or non-state actors.”
The report details murders, disappearances, extortion, corporal punishment, and sexual and gender-based violence. “The authorities not only failed to prevent and investigate these rights violations” but took part in them, the document says, noting in particular the case of Gran Sabana in the state of Bolivar (south).
“In the community of Gran Sabana, in the southern part of the country, the commission documented in depth many cases where state forces attacked indigenous populations,” killing and torturing.
“These are mainly clashes following the opposition’s attempt to channel humanitarian aid into Gran Sabana from Brazil in 2019.”
“The situation in the state of Bolivar and other mining zones is deeply disturbing. Local populations, including indigenous peoples, have been caught up in the violent battle between the state and armed criminal organizations for the control of gold,” emphasizes Patricia Tapata Valdes, member of the committee.
“Our committee highlights the need for a more thorough investigation of this area which is, paradoxically, an almost forgotten zone of the country that produces at the same time large amounts of legal and illegal mineral wealth,” he adds.
The commission, which was formed in 2019, was not allowed to go to Venezuela and had to conduct its investigation from border areas and through remote interviews.
She bases her conclusions in her two reports on 246 confidential interviews “including with victims, their family members and former security and intelligence officials” as well as file documents and other legal documents.
“Venezuela remains faced with a deep human rights crisis,” notes Valinas, who asks the international community to closely monitor developments in the country “in order to promote justice, accountability and respect for human rights.”
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