Caracas, Venezuela: Since the contested elections in late July 2024, Nicolás Maduro's regime has intensified repression against political opponents. Over 2,500 people have been arbitrarily detained, including more than 100 minors.
One of them is José Gregorio Pérez Maita, 26, who was arrested without cause on July 29 and has been awaiting a long-overdue hearing. His brother, Diego Casanova Maita, protests regularly for his release: "I want the world to know the truth about Venezuela and my brother's case."
Josnars Baduel, imprisoned for over four years, is currently held in El Helicoide, a notorious torture center for political detainees. His sister, Andreina Baduel, fights for his release despite the criminalization of her family. Their father, former Chávez ally Raúl Baduel, was imprisoned for over a decade and died in 2021 due to mistreatment and lack of medical care.
Lisette González from NGO Provea warns that repression now extends nationwide, targeting the most vulnerable. A recent UN report describes Venezuela’s human rights crisis as one of the worst in recent history. The arrest of Rafael Ramírez, the opposition mayor of Maracaibo, underscores this escalating crackdown.
