Venezuela Opposition Reportsโค Rising Number of Disappearances, Raising Human Rights Concerns
CARACAS โข – Venezuelan oppositionโ groups areโ sounding the alarm over a recent surge in reported disappearances and arbitrary detentions, accusing the Nicolรกs Maduro government โฃof โescalating its crackdown โonโ dissent. The reports come amid growing international scrutiny of โฃhuman rights conditions inโค the โคSouth American nation.
On Saturday, the Human Rights Committee of theโ Vente Venezuela (VV) โparty, led by prominent opposition figure Marรญa Corina machado, denounced the arrest of two of its collaborators, elizabeth Rodrรญguez and Juan โคTorres, in the Trujilloโค state last Wednesday. According to VV, the pair were apprehended while on their way to work. Their current whereabouts remain unknown, sparking fears for their safety.
“elizabeth is hypertensive and Juan is diabetic, requiring consistent medical treatment,” theโ committee stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter), demanding their “immediate freedom.”
Adding toโค the growing โคconcerns, the Popular Will (VP) party also reported the disappearance โof Macario Gonzรกlez, a member of its national leadership, last Friday. VP stated โon X that there has been “no official details” regarding Gonzรกlez’s location or the circumstancesโ surrounding hisโฃ disappearance, and โcalled for respect for his โค”physical and moral integrity.” Gonzรกlez isโค 73 years old.
these incidents are occurring against a backdrop of โincreasedโข pressure on oppositionโค leaders. Both Machadoโ and Edmundo Gonzรกlez Urrutia,another key opposition figure,are currently facing threats – โฃMachado is reportedly โin hiding,while Gonzรกlez โคUrrutia is in exile. VP alleges that the “persecution” of those “fighting for a free โVenezuela” is intensifying.
The reports align with findings from Venezuelan human rights organizations. Last month, the NGO Prova denounced โขa “rise in cases of arbitrarily detained persons” subjected to prolonged periods of incommunicado detention, leaving families, lawyers, and organizations unaware of their fate or conditions of imprisonment. Prova has called for accountability and “exemplary sanctions” for those responsible.
According to โthe Criminal Forum organization, there are currently 82
