UN Reports Allege Continued Torture of Detainees in Venezuela

Tue Mar 17 2026 05:42:57 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The UN's Human Rights chief expresses concern over ongoing torture allegations in Venezuela despite recent political changes, including a new amnesty law.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has reported ongoing torture of detainees in Venezuela even after the recent political transition. He highlighted the need for transparency and raised concerns about arbitrary detentions despite an amnesty law. Venezuelan officials have dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.

Reports alleging that detainees have continued to be tortured in Venezuela following the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces in January are concerning, according to the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.

Despite Maduro being replaced by former Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, who passed an amnesty bill into law, Türk warned that structural and systemic human rights concerns have persisted in Venezuela.

Venezuelan officials have yet to respond publicly to Türk's remarks, but they have historically dismissed torture allegations as politically motivated.

Türk noted that many Venezuelans remain in arbitrary detention despite the recent amnesty law, which is said to have granted 7,700 people full freedom. However, rights groups confirm that fewer than 700 have actually been released.

He called for greater transparency from Venezuelan authorities and emphasized the need for access to detention centers, citing continued torture reports from specific facilities.

The UN Human Rights Council received updates from an Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, which reported ongoing human rights violations post-January 3, including documented cases of torture and mistreatment of detainees.