‘Too Much Migration’: Venezuela Supports Nicolás Maduro’s Inauguration Nicolás Maduro news

Bogota, Colombia – Jesus Medina Ezain spent 16 months in a Venezuelan military prison on charges of crimes related to his photojournalism.

But another prison stint seemed imminent, especially after the re-election of rival Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

As Maduro prepared to be sworn in for a third term, Medina, 43, made a difficult decision: She fled her home in Venezuela for the relative safety of the neighboring Colombian capital, Bogota.

“I decided to escape before they put me back in jail,” Medina said.

Maduro’s government has been criticized for its crackdown on political opponents. But Friday’s inauguration ceremony is set to bring the recent election crisis to a head, with observers warning that the violence could escalate as Maduro tries to seize power.

“The regime will do everything possible to reinstate Maduro and continue his administration,” said Juan Papier, deputy director of the Americas division of Human Rights Watch.

“If they see this opportunity challenged in any way, such as (opposition-led) peaceful demonstrations, they are going to repress them brutally.”

An atmosphere of fear

Medina remembers his final months in Venezuela as being filled with fear.

In the lead-up to the controversial election, opposition leader María Corina Machado joined the campaign as a photographer, documenting her efforts to support presidential candidate Edmundo González.

But that job made him a target again.

Medina was unknown to Maduro’s government: he was arrested in 2018 on charges of money laundering, criminal association and incitement to hatred, all of which he denies.

Instead, he said, they were arrested in retaliation for his report on human rights violations. As of January 2020, he is being held without trial in the Ramo Verde military prison.

“The Venezuelan regime does not tolerate any opinion or information against them,” he said.

“The media is scared,” Medina added. Freedom of expression in Venezuela has completely disappeared as journalists in Venezuela do their best to avoid imprisonment.

But in the year The presidential election on July 28, 2024 has resulted in the worst political repression ever seen in any capital city.

Hours after the polls closed, the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner without providing the usual margin of votes.

Meanwhile, the opposition published the receipts indicating that Gonzalez won the election with nearly 70 percent of the vote. As protests erupted over alleged election rigging, government action was taken.

As government forces cleared the way for protesters, taking protesters from their homes, he said he was tipped off that Medina would be arrested – again.

He quickly hid. Medina spent two months in various locations in the capital, Caracas, in an attempt to arrest him. He said that the country’s intelligence forces had already knocked on the door of the house in the city.

Feeling depressed, Medina decided to flee to Bogotá on September 15, where he has remained ever since.

A wave of oppression

As many as 2,500 people were arrested in the post-election protests, according to government data.

Another 25 people were killed in the operation by UN independent investigators. It is called “Unprecedented levels of violence.”

United Nations Fact-Finding Mission announced Earlier this month, at least 56 political opponents, 10 journalists and one human rights activist were among those arrested between August and December.

On Tuesday, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights also Published There were accusations of systematic government repression aimed at “preventing the political participation of the opposition” and “sowing terror among citizens”.

But during Friday’s post-election inauguration, more than 1,500 prisoners were released; Critics say this is an attempt to reduce government monitoring of human rights.

Alfredo Romero, director of Foro Penal, a Venezuelan human rights organization, said the presence of “many innocent young people with their relatives, especially their mothers, at the gates of prison” is reflecting badly on the Maduro administration.

Rights groups have also questioned the accuracy of the government’s figures.

Romero said at least 1,749 prisoners were in custody in the first week of January, and since then, more so-called dissident prisoners have been arrested.

“People may be released from prison, but that doesn’t mean new ones won’t be arrested,” he said.

formation response

Demonstrations are expected to take place on Maduro’s third term, despite widespread fears of repression.

Opposition presidential candidate Gonzalez has promised to return to Venezuela from exile abroad and be sworn in on Friday. It is not clear how and how he will fulfill the promise.

Machado, who has been holed up in Venezuela for months, called on Venezuelans to rally in support of the transition this week in a video message posted on social media on Sunday.

“Maduro won’t go away on his own, we have to make him leave with the people who don’t give up,” Machado said. “It’s time to stand up and let them know that this is as far as they’ve gone. This is over.”

In response, Maduro’s government stepped up security, deploying more than 1,200 military personnel in cities across the country to “ensure peace” on inauguration day.

According to Amnesty International, the government has arrested more than 12 human rights defenders, political activists and opposition relatives in recent days.

Those arrested include Gonzalez’s son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, a presidential candidate. he said. Tudares was kidnapped by masked men in Caracas on Tuesday.

And on Thursday, Machado herself was arrested as she was leaving an anti-Maduro protest, with opposition officials saying her transport was fired upon. She was quickly released.

An uncertain future

The recent arrests have sparked fresh international condemnation.

The United States Embassy in Venezuela It is called Arrest of Gonzalez’s son-in-law as an act of “intimidation” against protesters. Colombian President Gustavo Petro he said. His arrest prevented him from attending Maduro’s inauguration on Friday.

Still, Maduro’s control of government institutions has allowed security forces to act with impunity, according to recent reports. Report From the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Medina herself believes that the repression in Venezuela will worsen if Maduro remains in power for a third term.

“If we don’t bring freedom, there will be more persecution,” Medina said. “They try to destroy everything they see as opposition, including political leaders and the media.”

He said that he hopes to continue his work by exposing human rights violations from abroad.

“Whatever I decide, I will fight for my country.”