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New repression stats in Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro's regime accumulates 884 political prisoners

Foro Penal warns that among the detainees there are 85 people with dual nationality or foreign citizenship, most of them from Colombia and Spain.

Nicolás Maduro

Nicolás MaduroJuan Barreto/ AFP.

Virginia Martínez
Published by
Virginia Martínez

The non-governmental organization Foro Penal reported that in Venezuela, there are 884 people detained for political reasons, according to its most recent balance sheet, which has a cutoff date of November 3. The report notes that 85 of the detainees hold dual nationality or foreign citizenship. It warns that the figure may be even higher, as it does not include those who are released after short periods or remain under temporary arrest.

According to the bulletin, published on the social network X, there are 767 men and 117 women among the prisoners, of whom 880 are adults and four are adolescents between 14 and 17 years of age. In addition, 711 of those arrested are civilians and 173 belong to the military, according to the organization, which for years has been documenting human rights violations under the regime of Nicolás Maduro.

Foro Penal specified that among the 85 political prisoners with foreign nationality or dual citizenship, there are citizens from Colombia (21) and Spain (19), which top the list, followed by Italy (7) and Portugal (5). Also included are detainees from Argentina, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Honduras, Peru, Ukraine, Panama, Chile, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Cuba, Ecuador, Lebanon, Pakistan, Iran, Ireland, Poland, Guyana and Romania, reflecting the international scope of detentions reported in the country.

Increase in detentions after the 2024 elections

A large part of the detentions occurred after the presidential elections of July 2024, in which the National Electoral Council, controlled by the dictatorship, proclaimed Nicolás Maduro as the winner, despite allegations of fraud presented by the United Democratic Platform (PUD) and supported by national and international observers.

Since then, several civil organizations have warned about a wave of political persecution, especially against dissident opposition leaders, activists and members of the military. However, both Maduro and his Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, insist that there are no political prisoners in Venezuela, but rather people detained for ordinary crimes.

NGOs claim opacity and due process violations

The NGO Justice, Encounter and Forgiveness also alerted on November 3 about an increase in arbitrary arrests in different regions of the country, without the authorities informing the reason for the detentions or the whereabouts of those affected. According to the organization, this practice generates a "scenario of legal insecurity and prolonged anguish" for relatives and constitutes a direct violation of fundamental rights, including personal freedom, physical integrity, and due process.

The NGO demanded that the Venezuelan regime guarantee immediate and truthful information on the identity and situation of the detainees, in addition to allowing access to lawyers and contact with relatives, as established by the Venezuelan Constitution and international human rights treaties signed by the State.


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