Venezuela‘s Maduro Regime Systematically represses Dissent, Amnesty International Reports
CARACAS - The government of Nicolás Maduro is utilizing all branches of the Venezuelan state – judicial, legislative, and executive - to enact a systemic repression policy against any form of dissent, according to Amnesty International. The accusation, leveled by Amnesty International Americas research director Valentina Ballesta, details a deliberate strategy to instill “anxiety in the population” through coordinated state action.
Ballesta, in an interview with NTN24, emphasized the repression is not random, but a calculated mechanism employing police and intelligence agencies. The institution’s statements come amid a reported intensification of arbitrary detentions, specifically a pattern of targeting the relatives of political opponents in exile.
Activist Tamara Sujú recently highlighted the case of the family of exiled Lieutenant Christian Hernández Castillo. Following the reported kidnapping of his 16-year-old daughter, Samantha Hernández, his sister, Aranza de los Ángeles Hernández Castillo, also disappeared. Lieutenant Hernández is accused by the ruling party of involvement in the 2019 ‘Operation aurora.’
The persecution has extended to Hernández’s immediate family: his wife,Maykelis Borges,his newborn son,and his uncle,Henry Castillo,are currently under arrest.
Ballesta described these actions as a “cruel use of the closest affections” as a punitive measure, noting the violations impact not only the targeted individuals but also their families and communities, fostering a climate of political terror.
