(Washington, DC) – On the night of January 2, the US military conducted strikes on Venezuela, and took into custody the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. US President Donald Trump said on January 3 that the United States will “run” Venezuela until a transition takes place.
The following quote can be attributed Juanita Gobertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch:
“After decades of brutal repression under Chavismo, Venezuelans deserve a prompt transition to a rights-respecting democracy, led by Venezuelans, where their freedoms and right to participate in free and fair elections are respected, political prisoners are released, and those responsible for serious human rights violations are held to account. In 2024, independent election observers presented data showing Venezuelans voted to oust Maduro from power, and that the official results were riddled with fraud.
Human Rights Watch will continue to monitor and investigate any US strikes on Venezuelan soil. The US extrajudicial execution of 115 people in vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, in the buildup to these strikes in Venezuela, are a worrying sign of the Trump administration’s disregard for its human rights obligations. Human Rights Watch will also monitor the response from the current Venezuelan authorities, including any further abuses against political opponents and critics in the country.
At this critical juncture, governments in Latin America and the European Union should push for a peaceful transition to a rights-respecting democracy in Venezuela.”
