Venezuela‘s Maduro Regime Systematically represses Dissent, Amnesty Internationalโค Reports
CARACAS -โ The government of Nicolรกs Maduro is utilizing all branches of the Venezuelan state – โjudicial, legislative, and executive -โข to enact aโ systemic repressionโฃ policy against anyโฃ form of dissent, accordingโ to Amnesty International.โข The accusation, leveled by Amnesty โฃInternational Americas research director Valentina Ballesta, โคdetails a deliberate strategy toโ instill “anxiety in the population”โฃ throughโข coordinated state action.
Ballesta, in an interview withโข NTN24, emphasized โthe repression is not random, but a calculated mechanismโค employing police and intelligence agencies. The institution’sโ statements comeโ amid a reported intensificationโ of arbitrary detentions, specifically โฃa pattern of โขtargeting the relatives ofโ political opponents in exile.
Activist Tamara โSujรบ recently highlighted the case ofโฃ the familyโ of โคexiledโ Lieutenant โChristian Hernรกndez Castillo. Following the reported kidnapping of his 16-year-old daughter, Samantha Hernรกndez, his sister, Aranza de losโข รngelesโค Hernรกndez โCastillo, also disappeared.โ Lieutenantโ Hernรกndez is accused by the ruling party of involvement in the 2019 ‘Operation aurora.’
The persecution has extended to Hernรกndez’s immediate family: his wife,Maykelis Borges,hisโ newborn son,and his uncle,Henry Castillo,are currently under arrest.
Ballesta described these actions as a “cruel use โฃof the โขclosest affections” as a punitive measure, noting the โขviolations impact not only the โtargeted individualsโ but also their families and communities, fostering โขa climate ofโข political terror.