Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Warning that political persecution is intensifying, a report by the U.N. Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela said the country has a "sustained and systematic pattern" of detaining relatives of opposition figures to impose social control through fear.
The report presents new evidence of harsh postelection repression after the July 28, 2024, presidential vote, when the National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner without releasing tally sheets.
The mission said political persecution, including against human rights defenders and those advocating for fundamental freedoms, has continued in 2025.
According to the report, the state's policy to silence, discourage and neutralize the has been carried out consistently through different methods, particularly during periods of heightened political tension such as presidential inaugurations and parliamentary or regional elections.
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