UN Photo/ Jean- Marc- Ferré
Guacamaya, June 27, 2025. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, presented his annual report this Friday in Geneva, expressing concern about the human rights situation in Venezuela, highlighting arbitrary detentions and restrictions on fundamental freedoms. The Venezuelan government labeled the report “selective” and questioned the lack of a statement regarding the situation of more than 250 Venezuelan citizens detained in El Salvador.
In its most recent annual report, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) indicated that at least 58 people linked to the Venezuelan opposition—including journalists, human rights defenders, and humanitarian workers—had been arbitrarily detained. The case of presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, from the Centrados en la Gente party, was also documented. His detention in January 2025 was deemed to lack due process after he publicly questioned a ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice.
The High Commissioner urged Venezuelan authorities to release all individuals detained for political reasons, allow independent investigations into alleged human rights violations, and lift international sanctions that, according to the report, particularly affect vulnerable sectors of the population. He also recommended fully reinstating the OHCHR office in Caracas, which was reduced to a single official in 2024.
In response, the Venezuelan government rejected the report’s content, arguing that the body’s approach lacked balance. During his intervention in Geneva, Venezuela’s ambassador to the UN, Alexander Yánez, criticized the lack of a statement regarding the situation of more than 250 Venezuelan citizens who, he denounced, are being held in a maximum-security prison in El Salvador.
“The report shows a selective attitude and uneven diligence depending on the case,” stated Ambassador Yánez. He added that the mothers of those affected had expected a statement proportional to the suffering endured and questioned why, after 56 days, a clearer statement on this situation had not been issued.
The report and the government’s reaction reflect the persistent divergence between Venezuelan authorities and international bodies regarding the approach and handling of human rights issues in the country.
