UN Report Reveals 823 Political Prisoners and Systematic Torture in Venezuela

The United Nations released a report on September 23, 2025, exposing Venezuela’s deepening rights abuses. Authorities hold 823 political prisoners, including about 100 women and nearly 90 foreign nationals.

At least 70 detainees suffer serious illnesses and lack adequate medical care. Since Nicolás Maduro’s 2024 inauguration, the government arrested over 2,200 protesters under broad terrorism laws.

Security forces raided homes in working-class neighborhoods during “Operation Knock Knock,” leaving many families too fearful to live normally.

The report uncovers 22 cases of sexual violence and gender-based torture. Guards forced transactional sex for basic needs like phone calls and hygiene products.

Investigators documented forced nudity, electric shocks to genitals, and coercive prostitution. One detainee described guards circulating a price list for sexual services.

Inside El Helicoide prison in Caracas, inmates face overcrowded cells without water, light, or sanitation. Officials used plastic bags for asphyxiation, baseball bats for beatings, and electric shocks as torture. Courts ignored every complaint, and no investigations followed.

The report also details the arrest of 226 children and adolescents during protests, with four still behind bars. One mother said officers stripped her naked at a police station to humiliate her for demanding her son’s release.

Meanwhile, the United States deployed warships and submarines to the Caribbean, citing anti-drug operations. Washington struck three Venezuelan vessels this month. Venezuela answered with large military drills featuring Russian jets and naval exercises.

The government began training civilians in weapon handling and first aid, signaling readiness for confrontation. This unfolding crisis combines unchecked state violence with growing regional instability.

The UN labels these actions “crimes against humanity.” The report demands swift international pressure and a political solution to prevent deeper humanitarian harm.