UN Warns That Abuses May Persist in Venezuela

The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, says reports of torture in Venezuelan detention centres remain alarming even after Nicolas Maduro was removed from power in January. Maduro was replaced by former Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez, whose government later approved an amnesty law. Turk welcomed the law, but he warned that long-standing human rights problems had not disappeared with the political change.

He said many people were still being held arbitrarily and noted that one child was among those cases. Venezuelan lawmakers say more than 7,700 people have received freedom under the law, although many of them had been under house arrest or parole rather than in prison. However, the rights group Foro Penal says it has verified fewer than 700 releases and that more than 500 political prisoners still remain in jail. Because of that difference, the UN is calling for greater transparency from the Venezuelan authorities.

The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, says allegations that detainees are still being tortured in Venezuela remain deeply concerning. His warning comes after the removal of Nicolas Maduro by US forces in January and the installation of former Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez as the country's new leader. Rodriguez has since signed an amnesty law that was presented as a measure to ease the situation for political detainees. Turk welcomed the law but said it had not solved deeper structural human rights concerns.

According to Turk, many Venezuelans continue to face arbitrary detention, including a child. The Venezuelan parliament, which remains dominated by Maduro loyalists, says more than 7,700 people have been granted freedom under the new law. Yet the rights organisation Foro Penal says it has confirmed fewer than 700 actual releases and maintains that more than 500 political prisoners are still behind bars. The contrast between official claims and independent monitoring has led the UN to demand much greater transparency from the authorities.