Caracas Chronicles

Repression Briefs is a collection of stories of the people detained and/or subject to state violence in the context of the post electoral protests in Venezuela 

In the wake of the 2024 presidential elections, Nicolás Maduro’s regime unleashed the harshest wave of repression seen in Venezuela in the past two decades. According to Foro Penal, over 1,700 individuals have been detained, including political figures, human rights defenders, humanitarian workers, peaceful protesters, journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens with no direct involvement in the protests.

Picture this: you’re walking to the supermarket with your mother when suddenly, you’re detained. Or maybe you’re in your house while you livestream how shadowy figures with no insignia burst into your home and drag you away without a warrant. These are not random acts, but orchestrated and systemic intrusions designed to silence and intimidate. 

While arbitrary detentions are a harrowing narrative embedded deeply in Venezuela’s political landscape, thousands of denunciations from across the country reveal a dramatic increase in arbitrary detentions and human rights abuses. Still, the intensified crackdown on independent media and the stifling of dissenting voices make it hard to understand the magnitude and impact of arbitrary and illegal detentions during the electoral context. In this perilous environment, reporting on these detentions has also become increasingly risky for journalists and victims within Venezuela, which has led to a significant information vacuum, further isolating the detained and their families. 

Repression Briefs is designed to address this critical gap by publicly documenting representative cases of human rights violations linked to political detentions. Through detailed profiles, each brief seeks to highlight individual stories and provide a broader understanding of repressive patterns and policies enforced by Maduro’s government.

“He was with me. He has done nothing wrong. This is an injustice; they took my son without asking. They snatched him from my hands.”

From Wladimir Peña: Snatched From His Mother’s Arms 

Documenting the human rights violations and irregularities surrounding arbitrary detentions in Venezuela is not merely a matter of record-keeping; but a testament to the deep impact of these detentions on individuals, families, and communities alike. It’s an effort to preserve social and political memory, and by meticulously documenting these injustices, we ensure that the voices of the victims—whether they are mothers, workers, carers, heads of families, teenagers, or community builders—are not lost to history. 

These are their stories. 

Click on the posts below to read each story.