As of 2025, Venezuela continues to be one of the countries with the highest number of political prisoners in the Western Hemisphere. Under the authoritarian regime of Nicolás Maduro, systematic persecution of dissent has intensified, now expressed through the arbitrary detention of democratically elected political leaders, social activists, human rights defenders, foreign nationals, and public sector workers — including dozens of oil industry employees.
Among the most emblematic political prisoners are Williams Dávila and Enrique Márquez, well-known figures of Venezuela’s democratic opposition. Williams Dávila, a former member of the National Assembly and leader of the Acción Democrática party, was irregularly arrested following repeated public denunciations of government corruption and repression. His detention, carried out without a warrant and in violation of due process, marks another blow to the country’s political institutions. Dávila is a seasoned and moderate voice who had long advocated for dialogue and constitutional solutions. His imprisonment sends a clear message: in Venezuela, there is no room for legitimate criticism.
Enrique Márquez, former Vice President of the National Electoral Council, leader of the Un Nuevo Tiempo party, and presidential candidate in the 2024 elections, was arrested on unfounded charges of “conspiracy against the state.” Márquez, known for his defense of electoral pathways and active participation in international observation initiatives, represents one of the most blatant attempts by the regime to silence those who, from within the system, have sought to build bridges for democratic recovery. His detention exposes the hypocrisy of the regime, which claims to support electoral openness while jailing those who actually promote it.
But Dávila and Márquez are by no means the only political leaders detained in retaliation and illegality. Other prominent opposition leaders have also been imprisoned, including Tomás Guanipa, Biagio Pillieri, Freddy Superlano, Américo De Grazia, Enzo Scarano, Noel Álvarez and Carlos Chancellor.
To this growing list of political prisoners, we must add over 60 oil workers, the silent victims of widespread labor repression. In Falcón State, numerous workers in the oil sector have been arrested in recent months for reporting unsafe working conditions, serious technical failures, and rampant corruption within PDVSA. These detentions — often carried out without access to legal defense and under inhumane conditions — reflect the criminalization of labor protest and the regime’s desperation to suppress any form of autonomous organization.
In Anzoátegui State, a key region in Venezuela’s oil circuit, the situation is equally alarming. Several engineers and operators were arrested after publicly reporting a major oil spill that occurred in May 2025. Instead of investigating the environmental disaster, the government responded with force, detaining those who tried to raise the alarm about the ecological and social damage it entailed. This policy of forced silence not only violates human rights but deepens the structural crisis of the national oil industry.
The use of the judicial system as a tool of political persecution, the militarization of labor conflicts, and the impunity enjoyed by security forces have turned Venezuela into a state where even the most basic guarantees of the rule of law have been erased.
From Alerta Venezuela, we call on the international community, human rights organizations, and multilateral bodies not to look the other way. Every political prisoner, every worker jailed for exercising their right to speak out, represents an open wound in Venezuela’s democratic fabric. The immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners is a fundamental requirement for any peaceful and lasting solution in Venezuela.