UN Report: Decade-Long Human Rights Violations by Venezuela's GNB

A U.N. Fact-Finding Mission reveals serious human rights abuses by Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard, targeting political opponents over a decade. The report details arbitrary detentions, sexual violence, and torture under President Maduro's regime, illustrating a systematic pattern of repression. Rising tensions between Washington and Caracas continue.

Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) has been implicated in serious human rights violations over the past decade, as outlined in a recent U.N. Fact-Finding Mission report. The GNB allegedly targeted political opponents with actions that may amount to crimes against humanity, including arbitrary detentions and torture.

The report highlights that under President Nicolas Maduro, there have been consistent efforts to persecute political dissenters, often with impunity. It describes instances of sexual violence and coordinated repression dating back to 2014. The findings have emerged amid growing diplomatic tensions, with the U.S. considering military intervention in response to Venezuela's alleged drug trade activities.

President Maduro has accused the U.S. of attempting to overthrow his government due to Venezuela's oil wealth. The U.N. report underscores the GNB's role in politically motivated crackdowns, such as the 2024 post-election raids in impoverished neighborhoods. The GNB's increased involvement in social control underlines a pattern of abuse that seeks to intimidate and suppress opposition voices.

(With inputs from agencies.)