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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 31, 2024

Venezuela: Freedom House Condemns Maduro Regime’s Efforts to Manipulate Election, Increasing Repression

In response to Nicolás Maduro’s unproven claim of election victory and the regime’s mounting violence and intimidation against protesters and independent media, Freedom House vice president of international programs Gerardo Berthin issued the following statement:

“We stand with the millions of Venezuelans who have expressed their desire for democratic change and who are demanding respect for their fundamental rights. We are deeply concerned by reports of escalating violence, including deaths, injuries, mass arrests, and crackdowns on independent media. We join the chorus of governments and organizations around the world calling for an immediate, independent audit of Sunday’s election results, and we call on Venezuela’s National Electoral Council to immediately publish precinct-level data to prove the true choice of Venezuelan voters.

“The Maduro regime’s efforts to control access to the ballot prior to the election, its online censorship of independent media and information, Maduro’s unproven declaration of victory, and the violent crackdown against peaceful protesters have deeply undermined the credibility of the victory Maduro professes to have earned.  

“The Venezuelan people are courageously demanding that their votes be counted and their choice be respected. We urge the international community to stand with the Venezuelan people at this critical time and make it clear that Maduro must prove his victory to be the legitimate leader of Venezuela. The international community must also make it crystal clear to Maduro that he will be held accountable for his response in this moment, and that he must respect fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly, and movement as Venezuelan citizens bravely exercise their right to peacefully protest.”

Background:

On July 28, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of a presidential vote that was marred by serious irregularities. There were widespread reports of fraud and voter intimidation, and officials at some polling places refused to release paper tallies of the electronic vote count. As a result, protests broke out on Monday in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, where thousands of people took to the streets. Armed police and military forces responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and batons. Early reports indicate that 16 people have been killed, many have been injured, and hundreds have been detained.

Venezuela is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2024, and Not Free in Freedom on the Net 2023. Venezuela has a score of 18 out of 100, with 0 being the most vulnerable to digital election interference, on Freedom House’s Election Vulnerability Index.