Venezuelan regime officials and pro-government paramilitary groups have carried out a sweeping campaign of terror in the wake of the country’s disputed 2024 presidential election, Human Rights Watch, the international advocacy organization, said in a scathing report released Wednesday.

The 104-page report, “Punished for Seeking Change: Killings, Enforced Disappearances, and Arbitrary Detention Following Venezuela’s 2024 Election,” documents grave human rights violations committed by security forces and government-aligned paramilitary groups known as "Colectivos" after the July 28 election, in which Nicolás Maduro was declared president amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud.

The group’s investigation uncovered evidence of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions — including of children — and pervasive torture and mistreatment. Victims included protesters, opposition leaders, bystanders and foreign nationals.

Following the contested vote, mass protests erupted across the country. According to the human rights watchdog’s report, 24 protesters and bystanders were killed, with both state security forces and Colectivos members implicated. While police initially employed tear gas and carried out arrests, Colectivos intensified the crackdown through intimidation and violent attacks.

More than 2,000 people have been detained for participating in protests, expressing dissent or supporting the opposition. Hundreds have been charged under vague national security laws such as “incitement to hatred” and “terrorism,” offenses that carry sentences of up to 30 years. The human rights group also documented numerous enforced disappearances, including those of Colombian aid worker Manuel Tique and French-American tourist Lucas Hunter — both of whom remain missing, with authorities providing little to no information.

The report also highlights the case of Jesús Armas, a former Caracas councilman and opposition campaign member, who was abducted by masked men in December 2024. He was allegedly held in a clandestine detention site and tortured by intelligence agents. Armas remains imprisoned without regular access to legal counsel or family visits.

The human rights group’s findings are based on more than 100 interviews with victims, relatives and witnesses, along with a review of 76 videos, 17 photographs and official documents such as death certificates and court records.

“The Venezuelan government has killed, tortured, detained and forcibly disappeared people seeking democratic change,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. She called on the international community to support democracy and human rights in Venezuela and hold the Maduro government accountable.

Independent observers, including the United Nations Panel of Electoral Experts and the Carter Center, have also questioned the legitimacy of the 2024 election. The Carter Center noted that opposition candidate Edmundo González likely secured a decisive victory based on independent vote counts, which were disregarded by Venezuela’s electoral authorities.

Despite statements from the Venezuelan attorney general’s office claiming hundreds of detainees have been released, many individuals remain under investigation. Detainees are often compelled to sign gag orders or coerced statements claiming their rights were respected.

Amid the escalating crackdown, many Venezuelans have fled the country in search of protection abroad. However, they face slow-moving asylum systems across Latin America and, in the United States, a halt in resettlement proceedings under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Human Rights Watch criticized the Trump administration for prioritizing migration cooperation and the release of detained U.S. citizens in Venezuela over broader efforts to defend human rights and the rule of law. Given the United States’ regional influence and rising anti-migrant sentiment in Latin America, the organization warned that other governments may adopt similar policies, further endangering Venezuelan refugees and emboldening the Maduro regime.

The reversal of U.S. policy toward Venezuelan migrants is playing into Maduro’s hands, the report states.

“Maduro is exploiting international cooperation on migration and detainees to legitimize his rule,” the group said, warning that this shift could encourage other governments to deprioritize human rights, exacerbating Venezuela’s crisis and triggering further displacement.

Human Rights Watch urged the international community to impose targeted sanctions on abusive officials, pursue accountability through the International Criminal Court and increase support for civil society groups and Venezuelan exiles.

“With 8 million Venezuelans living abroad, the human rights crisis in Venezuela remains the most severe in the Western Hemisphere,” said Goebertus. “Governments must use any engagement with Maduro to demand real, verifiable improvements—starting with the release of those who have been forcibly disappeared or arbitrarily detained.”

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