Post-Maduro Venezuela accused of keeping ‘repressive apparatus’

Venezuela continues to employ a "repressive apparatus" to carry out illegal detentions and enforced disappearances, according to UN investigators, despite some improvements in human rights since President Nicolas Maduro was detained by U.S. forces on January 3. While the mission observed a "significant decline" in long-term detentions and enforced disappearances, it noted that "these changes have not been accompanied by the institutional reforms required to ensure a meaningful and sustained improvement in the human rights situation".

Many laws that criminalize dissent remain in force, and the country's intelligence services and security forces maintain the same structures, policies, and practices, the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela stated in a report to be delivered to the UN Human Rights Council on Friday. The mission found that no efforts have been made to dismantle the "colectivos", which are pro-government armed groups that the investigators consider a "central component" of the state's repressive apparatus.

Despite accusations of violations, at least 19 officials remain in their positions. The mission leader, Sofia Macher, emphasized that the improvement is "fragile and reversible". The Chavismo party is set to begin new talks with opposition groups this week regarding the post-Maduro transition period.