Venezuela is enduring a severe humanitarian and human rights crisis, not caused by war or natural disaster, but by deliberate state terrorism imposed by the authoritarian Maduro regime. Following the 7/28/2024 fraudulent elections, the regime intensified its repression, targeting opposition figures, civil society leaders, students, workers, and journalists. Thousands of Venezuelans have been arbitrarily detained, many without charges, under vague accusations such as “terrorism” or “conspiracy.” UN investigations (Independent International Fact-Finding Mission) and human rights organizations report widespread use of torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and other inhumane treatment to suppress dissent and instill fear.
The crisis extends beyond political persecution. Venezuela’s healthcare system has collapsed, hospitals lack basic supplies, and preventable diseases claim lives. Public services like water and electricity are unreliable, while food insecurity and educational decline are rampant. Independent media and NGOs are under attack, with censorship and restrictive laws silencing dissent. Indigenous communities face displacement and exploitation linked to illegal mining and state neglect.
Despite the growing suffering and the forced exodus of over 7 million Venezuelans, the international response has been nothing short of disgraceful. Silence or distortion of Venezuela’s reality, as seen in Julie Turkewitz’s recent article, is not neutrality -it’s complicity. Venezuelans don’t need sympathy. We demand truth, accountability, and active solidarity.
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