Venezuela accused of Employing ‘Sippenhaft’ – Nazi-Era Practice of Collective Punishment – Against Political Opponents’ Families
CARACAS – The Venezuelan Prisons Observatory (OVP) has denounced a pattern of arrests targeting relatives of political opponents, a practice reminiscent of “Sippenhaft,” a method of collective punishment employed by Nazi Germany. The OVP alleges that individuals are being detained not for their own actions, but solely due to their familial ties to those critical of the government or involved in opposition activities.
The OVP report details numerous cases, including:
* Family of Gabriel Blanco: The arrest of Gabriel Blanco adn several members of his family.
* Ana Carolina Guaita: The journalist Ana Carolina Guaita, arrested for not finding her parents.
* Diego sierralta: Diego Sierralta,arrested after the release of his mother,the leader Yenny Barrios.
* relatives of opposition leaders Biagio Pilieri y Juan Pablo Guanipa.
* Rafael Tudares: The arrest of Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of president-elect Edmundo González.
The organization emphasized that in many instances, The relatives had no relationship with the events investigated and were deprived of their liberty exclusively because of their emotional or blood relationship.
The OVP further reported the kidnapping of minors in states such as carabobo and Barinas, alleging that teenagers and even babies were held by security forces for over 72 hours to put pressure on their parents or loved ones. “The fact that use 2, 5 or 7 year olds as negotiation chips” reflects the extreme level of dehumanization that accompanies this policy,” the OVP stated.
the Observatory is documenting each case and sharing information with international organizations to activate supervision mechanisms, while urging independent investigations and an immediate cessation of the practice.
“Persecution due to family ties constitutes one of the clearest signs of a regime that acts outside the law and minimum respect for human dignity,” the NGO concluded.
el Helicoide, considered the main torture center in Latin America | Photo: Federico Parra / AFP