Report of the International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela under the United Nations Human Rights Council

The International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, established in 2019 by the United Nations Human Rights Council with the full support of Brazil, published on September 16 a report on its findings with respect to extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment committed in the country since 2014. The Mission investigated 223 cases and reviewed an additional 2891 incidents.

According to the document, the mission found reasonable grounds to believe that the Nicolás Maduro regime has committed violations against human rights treaties and conventions and crimes under the Venezuelan criminal law itself and under international law, some of which – including killings and the systematic use of torture – amount to crimes against humanity. The violations and crimes described in the report hold both the Venezuelan State and its agents responsible.

The mission concluded that Maduro and its Defense and Interior ministers “ordered or contributed to the commission of the crimes documented in [the] report”. The report indicates the involvement of Maduro and of other representatives from his regime in crimes against humanity, which are to be investigated by the competent court and, if Venezuela’s justice system is unable or unwilling, by the International Criminal Court.

Brazil believes that the work carried out by the Fact-Finding Mission very much contributes to ensuring accountability of the dictatorial regime of Nicolás Maduro, which continues to undermine democracy and oppress the Venezuelan people. The Brazilian government urges the observance of the 65 recommendations made in the report.

Brazil hopes that the report will mobilize the entire international community to work towards extinguishing the dictatorial regime of Maduro and freeing Venezuela. Notably, Brazil hopes that countries still showing support for Maduro’s dictatorship will withdraw it and begin to work for the good of the Venezuelan people, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the self-determination of peoples - noting that the right to self-determination is particularly granted to the peoples, not to the dictatorships that may oppress them.

In view of the report’s content, Brazil believes that a regime as the one headed by Maduro has neither conditions nor legitimacy to call and hold clean and fair elections, and therefore parliamentary elections called by the dictatorship for December should not be supported by the international community.

The report is available on the Human Rights Council page: 

https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFMV/A_HRC_45_33_AUV.pdf