Venezuela: Cecodap reports 118 adolescents charged under Hate Law

The child rights organization Cecodap has reported that at least 118 adolescents in Venezuela have been charged under the Law Against Hate between 2024 and 2025. According to Carlos Trapani, the organization's general coordinator, these legal proceedings primarily emerged following the political crisis and repression after the July 28, 2024, presidential elections.

Investigations often involved the review of mobile phones, social media posts, and WhatsApp status updates. Cecodap alleges that these processes were frequently accompanied by violations of judicial guarantees for minors, including arbitrary detentions, lack of communication, failure to immediately notify families, and restrictions on private legal defense. Some minors were reportedly held in police and military facilities before being transferred to juvenile care entities.