DANGEROUS TIMES PRESENTS: Venezuelan Crisis in Graphics: The Unfolding of a Hemispheric Tragedy. (2017-2022).

Venezuela: Crimes against humanity require a vigorous response from the international justice system

Selective extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detentions, and deaths and injuries caused by the excessive use of force by Nicolás Maduro’s government as part of a systematic and widespread policy of repression since at least 2017 may constitute crimes against humanity, said Amnesty International today in its new report on the events in Venezuela in late January 2019. iVeneuela

What motivated us to do it?

From 2017 to 2022, over the course of five years, we received unwavering support from the exceptional team at IOSI GLOBAL. Under the skillful coordination of Tomas Martinek and my leadership, we formed a dedicated task force. Our primary objective was to meticulously investigate the brutal crimes, including torture, rapes, and arbitrary arrests, orchestrated by the oppressive Venezuelan regime. Our ultimate goal was to shed light on the harrowing atrocities being inflicted upon a vulnerable population, and bring the truth to the forefront on a global scale.

The protests that erupted in 2017-2018 marked a pivotal moment in Venezuela’s history. In unprecedented numbers, the people of Venezuela poured into the streets, driven by desperation, rage, and a yearning for freedom. The citizens bravely stood up against the oppressive Chavista regime, demanding justice and the end of narco-dictatorship. However, in response, the regime unleashed a brutal campaign of violence—escalating murders, kidnappings, torture, rapes, and arbitrary detentions aimed at crushing the resistance and silencing any voices of dissent.

This wave of terror persisted even as public protests waned, not because the people gave up, but because their hopes were betrayed. The populist opposition leadership, time and again, failed to deliver on their promises, abandoning the very people they vowed to defend. Their repeated betrayals only emboldened the regime, allowing it to tighten its grip on power, using fear, repression, and control as its primary weapons.