Secretary of State Antony Blinken presented the annual report on human rights worldwide. The State Department's report highlights the persecution of political opponents in dictatorships such as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. It specifically addresses Daniel Ortega's efforts to pressure and punish exiled activists by confiscating their assets.
Additionally, the report explained that in Nicaragua, more than 300 civil society organizations were closed in 2023, bringing the number of closed organizations to more than 3,500. Likewise, he explained that the regime stripped more than 300 people of their citizenship and held more than 100 political prisoners in atrocious conditions.
Family members of opposition members in exile were surveilled, harassed, detained, and wrongfully convicted as part of government attempts to force exiled opposition members to return to the country and face arrest.
Persecution in Cuba and Venezuela
In Cuba, there are currently more than 1,000 political prisoners who are reported to be unjustly detained and subjected to ill-treatment. In addition, their relatives are also targets of threats. "There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Cuba during the year. Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment by the government," said the State Department.
The government repeatedly limited public debate of topics considered politically sensitive. Several laws criminalized aspects of freedom of expression, such as the Social Communication Law approved in May, which increased regime control over information, press and other media, and social media through the Institute of Communication and Information.
In Venezuela, the report stated that "Maduro representatives used the judiciary to intimidate and prosecute individuals critical of their policies or actions, commonly using charges of conspiracy, terrorism, and treason to arrest individuals."
In addition, it warned that "there were credible reports Maduro representatives attempted to misuse international law enforcement tools, including Interpol Red Notices, to carry out politically motivated reprisals against specific individuals located outside the country."
