Reports alleging that detainees have continued to be tortured in Venezuela following the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces in January are concerning, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, says.
Maduro has been replaced in power by one of his loyal allies, former Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, under whose leadership an amnesty bill has been passed into law.
Türk welcomed the amnesty law but warned that structural and systemic human rights concerns have persisted in Venezuela despite Maduro's ousting.
Venezuelan officials have not yet reacted publicly to Türk's remarks but have in the past dismissed allegations of torture as politically motivated.
Türk said many Venezuelans remained in arbitrary detention despite the passing of the amnesty law last month, including a child among those arbitrarily detained.
Last week, the Venezuelan parliament, which is dominated by Maduro loyalists, announced that over 7,700 people had been granted full freedom under the amnesty law. However, rights group Foro Penal confirms the release of fewer than 700 detainees, raising questions about government transparency.
Türk has urged Venezuelan authorities to provide an official list of those released and allow unfettered access to detention centers, claiming reports of ongoing torture in facilities such as Rodeo 1 and Fuerte Guaicaipuro.
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela has documented multiple cases of torture, sexual violence, and degrading treatment in Venezuelan detention centers, with officials dismissing these findings as politically driven.
