The political and social crisis in Venezuela has entered a phase of maximum tension. The totalitarian regime of Nicolás Maduro, which usurped power by committing a massive electoral fraud in July 2024, has since escalated repression against civil society to unprecedented levels. Not only have political and social leaders, journalists, and human rights defenders been persecuted and imprisoned, but ordinary citizens have also been targeted simply for fulfilling their civic duty as witnesses at polling stations.
Amid this situation, the United States has announced the deployment of a fleet in the Caribbean, ostensibly to strengthen anti-narcotics efforts. This move, which raises regional tensions, has been exploited by Maduro’s regime to reinforce its siege narrative and justify the adoption of new authoritarian measures.
On September 29, 2025, Maduro issued a Decree of External State of Commotion, granting him extraordinary security and defense powers. Although Maduro already governs arbitrarily outside the Constitution—persecuting opponents, torturing dissidents, banning parties, and fraudulently remaining in power—this decree seeks to cloak his repressive practices in “legitimacy.” More than a real necessity, it is a tool to contain any attempt at opposition reorganization—recently harshly suppressed—and to neutralize potential resistance. With the creation of “Areas of Integral Defense,” the potential to further curtail rights to association, assembly, and expression—well beyond current levels—increases significantly, as well as intangible rights such as life, bodily integrity, and due process.
States of exception inherently restrict citizens’ rights temporarily and partially, which is problematic in itself. They are intended as exceptional defenses for democratic governments that respect legal frameworks—for governments unlike that of Nicolás Maduro, who governed for nearly ten years under an economic emergency decree that not only worsened the humanitarian emergency but also served as a pretext to intensify civilian persecution and bolster impunity among security forces. During that period, the totalitarian government also failed to notify the UN Secretary-General, as required by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, consolidating a policy of isolation and rejection of international human rights scrutiny.
It is significant that, in response to this crisis, the regime’s answer is not political but military. Instead of opening channels for dialogue or seeking consensus, Maduro chooses to increase his powers to consolidate arbitrariness. The regime presents itself entrenched in the use of force, with no willingness to consider democratic alternatives. The fact that Maduro has recently reappeared in a military uniform—an attire that does not suit a civilian leader—underscores his determination to establish a narrative of force, brutality, and war.
This militaristic turn not only aims to intimidate the population and subject them to warlike logic and coercion, but also to send a message of absolute control to the international community. However, what it truly reveals is the profound weakness of a regime that must rely on fear and repression to remain in power yet seems willing to take the political conflict to its ultimatums.
In this context, the responsibility of the international community is unavoidable. Venezuela has been ruled under continuous exceptionality for years, lacking democratic institutions and the rule of law. Over time, democratic paths have been blocked, with the military and repressiveness used to perpetuate power. Once again, Maduro resorts to the rhetoric of sovereignty and the enemy narrative to attack his own citizens and repress adversaries. The use of this narrative in light of renewed military posturing heightens the risk of expanding the list of victims in Venezuela but this time under an even more uncompromising regime.
A firm, coordinated, and sustained response from democratic actors globally is urgently needed to denounce arbitrariness, support Venezuelan civil society, and strengthen diplomatic pressures aimed at achieving a peaceful and democratic resolution based on respect for human rights.