Since the disputed presidential elections on July 28, 2024, Venezuela has experienced a chilling escalation of repression, with human rights defenders (HRDs) at the center of targeted attacks by state actors. What began as a crackdown on protesters evolved into a sustained campaign to silence civil society. The post-election climate has left independent voices increasingly at risk, as documented during the recent hearing at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on attacks against human rights defenders.

Within days of the election, authorities unleashed mass arrests, arbitrary detentions, and surveillance against anyone suspected of dissent – including human rights defenders (HRDs), journalists, lawyers, and NGO workers. Organizations on the ground have recorded over 592 attacks against HRDs in the first half of 2024 alone, representing a 92% increase compared to the previous year. The IACHRs later identified around 300 incidents of state violence tied to post-election protests.

Repression tactics have included enforced disappearances, incommunicado detention, and torture, often without due process. Prominent activist Rocío San Miguel was detained at Caracas airport and held in secret, sparking urgent calls from the UN Human Rights Office regarding her whereabouts. Similarly, Kennedy Tejeda, a lawyer from Foro Penal, was arrested and disappeared after visiting a detention center – a clear act of intimidation toward those providing legal assistance.

New tools of repression are also emerging. Authorities have encouraged the use of the state-sponsored app VenApp to report dissenters, enabling mass surveillance and facilitating arrests. After the presidential elections, 90% of human rights defenders reported a decrease in their social media posts to avoid reprisal. Additionally, in November 2024, the National Assembly passed a sweeping NGO Law that places civil society under near-total government control, requiring onerous registration and highly detailed financial reporting. Human rights actors say these measures are already being used to intimidate civil society, undermine operations, and shrink Venezuela’s civic space.

These attacks against human rights in Venezuela were the focus of a public hearing before the IACHR in July, where RFK Human Rights and allied organizations, including Amnesty International, CEJIL, WOLA, DPLF, and OMCT, highlighted the systematic nature of state violence and the criminalization of legitimate activism. The participants emphasized that these practices are not isolated, but form part of a broader policy designed to eliminate dissent and dismantle civil society.

As underscored in a recent joint statement, “la represión no se detiene” – repression continues. The Maduro regime is actively persecuting HRDs, not only to silence them individually, but to dismantle the structures that uphold human rights more broadly. Many defenders now live in hiding or exile, while others remain unjustly jailed.In this context, international engagement remains crucial. The risks faced by Venezuelan defenders are escalating, and without sustained global attention and pressure, the civic space in Venezuela may close entirely. As the international community considers its next steps, the voices of HRDs – and those who defend them – must remain central.