Tag: venezuela
Venezuela: Dissidents Allege Torture, Coerced Confessions
OAS Should Press Authorities to Drop Charges
The Organization of American States (OAS) should press authorities from Venezuela’s Maduro administration to release and drop criminal charges against anyone who has been arbitrarily detained and charged, Human Rights Watch said today. The OAS should also press Venezuela so its authorities investigate allegations that several detainees have been beaten and tortured in custody, and make the results of the investigations public.
Since May 2016, the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional, SEBIN) and National Guard have detained 21 people on allegations that they were planning, fomenting, or had participated in violent anti-government actions. Most allege they have been tortured or otherwise abused in custody. In several cases, prosecutors failed to present any credible evidence linking the accused to crimes, but courts charged them anyway. In some cases, the evidence included mere possession of political materials, including pamphlets calling for the release of political prisoners.
Censorship in Venezuela: Over 370 Internet Addresses Blocked
New Study Finds Major News Networks and Social Media Impeded by Government Censorship
In Venezuela, at least 372 web portals have been blocked by main Internet service providers (ISP). Also, 43 Internet domains have been blocked by these same providers, both public and private.
Of those, 44 percent are web pages related to black market dollars. An additional 19 percent of the pages are news media and an additional 12 percent feature blogs critical of Nicolás Maduro’s administration.
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Calls for Open Rebellion against Maduro
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado held a press conference this week in which she insisted citizens rebel should the recall referendum of President Nicolás Maduro not go into effect this year.