Venezuela returned to the international monitoring radar during the first half of March, increasingly revealing the wounds of the post-election context, along with other concerns linked to the complex humanitarian emergency and the closure of civic space following the pseudo-taking in office of Nicolás Maduro as de facto president.
On March 5, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food published a report following his visit to the country, highlighting a set of concerns. Regarding food security and malnutrition, the report stresses the FAO data, according to which, compared to 2004-2006, “the prevalence of undernourishment in the total population has more than doubled (from 7.8% to 17.6%) in 2021-2023.” Hyperinflation, fuel shortages, the lack of local production, and democratic institutions exacerbate the food insecurity of the Venezuelan population. It is argued that the food basket for a family of five was set at $532 in 2024, while since March 2022 the minimum wage has remained at 130 bolivars ($2.19 on February 10, 2025) due to devaluation. The loss of income and protection policies have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, such as women, children, Indigenous Peoples, the prison population, and older adults.
The Special Rapporteur expressed his rejection of the regressive legislation that hinders civic and democratic space, which has “interdependent and interconnected effects on the realization of the right to food.” In this regard, the Council urged the State to repeal the “Anti-NGO Law” and criticized the lack of official data and transparency policies, which hampers an assessment of the situation, particularly “on the use of public resources and the implementation of social programs (CLAP),” denouncing their clientelist and discriminatory use, their ineffectiveness, and their continued existence despite their supposedly temporary nature.
In addition to the severe restrictions on the right to food, on March 18, the Human Rights Council debated the oral update of the Independent Fact-Finding Mission (hereinafter “the Mission”). The Mission stated that the Venezuelan government continues to carry out actions that constitute the crime against humanity of political persecution, committed in relation to the crimes of imprisonment or severe deprivation of physical liberty, and other crimes under international law. Among its concerns, it highlighted the continued arbitrary detention of individuals who are members of the opposition, or those perceived as such, several of which could constitute short-term enforced disappearances. It noted that at least 84 detentions were verified in the first 15 days of 2025, including two adolescents and one person with a disability. It also commented on the 150 detained foreigners, mostly Colombians and Americans, accused of participating in conspiracies, in many cases held incommunicado, as well as the deaths of seven people in the context of post-election protests in Aragua state, who were shot by members of the Army and the Bolivarian National Guard.
The Mission called on the international community to fulfill its role by documenting, denouncing, and providing what is necessary to protect the Venezuelan population, including members of civil society. This request sent a direct message to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court “to investigate crimes against humanity, rather than educate on how to operate within a member country.”
In parallel with the interactive dialogue with the Mission, the Special Rapporteurs on association, human rights defenders, and freedom of expression published a joint allegation on the revocation of passports of defenders, journalists, and members and representatives of civil society organizations. According to the communication, since the July 28 elections, the passports of at least 62 individuals have been arbitrarily revoked, including 10 human rights defenders, 40 election observers, and 12 journalists. The Rapporteurs condemned the potential chilling and inhibiting effect that such measures will have on civil society, “reducing civic space in the country and seriously affecting its ability to continue carrying out its essential work of documenting and defending human rights.” As on other occasions, the State did not respond to this communication.
The deterioration of the humanitarian and human rights situation in Venezuela continues. Therefore, AlertaVenezuela calls on the international community to keep on deploying monitoring, reporting, funding, and protection efforts to maintain the democratic struggle in the country and ensure that human rights are promoted and placed at the center of multi-level negotiations aimed at restoring democratic and constitutional order.