Human rights and political repression in Venezuela

Reports have emerged highlighting the personal impact of political repression and state custody in Venezuela through the experiences of families of detainees.

In one instance, Nexi Carrillo de Vargas died following a prolonged illness after spending a year appealing for the release of her son, Varnei Vargas. Vargas has been detained for nearly three years and was reportedly imprisoned after refusing to participate in extortion involving a general at PDVSA. Authorities did not respond to Carrillo de Vargas’s requests for her son’s freedom prior to her death.

In a separate case, the organization Vente Venezuela highlighted the story of Carmen Navas, who passed away after learning her son, Víctor, died while in state custody following a disappearance of more than a year. The case was presented during a Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to draw international attention to victims of the Venezuelan crisis, with the organization stating that these individuals are “not figures. They are lives. They are families. They are stories that we cannot forget.”