UN Report Accuses Maduro Regime of State Policy Torture and Killings

A scathing new United Nations report has delivered a dramatic indictment of the Venezuelan state, accusing the National Guard and other security forces of carrying out systemic torture, extrajudicial killings, and arbitrary detentions not as isolated actions, but as part of a deliberate state policy to repress dissent and maintain political control. The findings conclude that Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and other high-level officials are responsible for probable crimes against humanity.
Systematic Repression as State Policy
The report by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (FFMV) details a decade-long pattern of gross human rights violations committed by security forces since 2014. The mission concluded that crimes against humanity have been committed as part of a state policy to repress opponents.
* Orchestration: The report explicitly states that these crimes were “coordinated and committed pursuant to state policies”. The systematic nature of the abuses ties them directly to high-level orchestration, suggesting that members of the intelligence services are implementing a plan orchestrated by President Maduro and other high-level individuals.
* Political Control: The abuses are designed to suppress opposition to the government, using fear, violence, and impunity as central mechanisms of control. The crimes include extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions.
* Torture Tactics: The report documents numerous cases of torture and abuse committed by security forces, including the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB). Methods documented range from beatings, suffocation, electric shocks, and mock executions, to severe sexual violence.
* Intelligence Role: The report highlights the systematic use of the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) and the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) to repress dissent. The FFMV found that security forces continue to use these repressive tools to stifle dissent.
Impunity and Global Scrutiny
The UN findings stress that the Venezuelan justice system is deeply compromised, participating in or being complicit in the abuses, and directly contributing to “perpetuating impunity” for the human rights violations. The lack of government action to identify, investigate, or punish officials who committed abuses remains a persistent issue.
The release of this scathing report, which paints a gruesome picture of systematic violence and repression, stands in grotesque contrast to President Maduro’s recent public demeanor, including his televised appearance singing the popular song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” This visual dichotomy—between the leader projecting peace and happiness, and the state security forces operating a system of terror—underscores the dual reality of the regime. The escalating diplomatic and military pressure from the United States, alongside these international legal findings, further isolates the regime and intensifies calls for accountability for the probable crimes against humanity.