The United Nations expressed concern on Tuesday over the tense political climate in Venezuela following the country’s July 28 presidential election, which has been disputed.
The U.N. reported that, according to official statements, more than 2,000 people have been arrested in Venezuela since the election. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said that the number of arbitrary detentions is continuing to rise, along with a “disproportionate use of force by law enforcement officials.”
“I call for the immediate release of everyone who has been arbitrarily detained, and for fair trial guarantees for all detainees,” he said in a statement.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s reelection has been deemed by several counties, including the United States, to be fraudulent, based on indications that the opposition received significantly more votes.
Maduro’s reelection was met with protests that have become deadly, with 25 people killed. The president blames the opposition for the violence and called for “severe justice” to be served.
Those whom Maduro wants detained for allegedly encouraging the violent climate include journalists and members of the opposition.
Maduro also has urged Venezuelans to report election skeptics using a government app originally created for reporting power outages.
“It is especially troubling that so many people are being detained, accused or charged either with incitement to hatred or under counterterrorism legislation,” Türk said in his statement. “Criminal law must never be used to limit unduly the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.”
Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press.
