In Caracas, Venezuela, the National Assembly, dominated by the ruling party, announced on Tuesday the declaration of Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as persona non grata. This action criticizes Türk for his perceived failure to protect the rights of Venezuelan migrants who were deported by the Trump administration to a prison in El Salvador.
This diplomatic decision, although symbolic, highlights the broader frustration of President Nicolás Maduro towards the United Nations agency tasked with the protection and promotion of human rights. The announcement follows closely on the heels of remarks by Türk, where he documented increasing instances of arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and torture purportedly taking place under Maduro’s leadership.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, who also serves as Maduro’s chief negotiator with the United States, accused Türk of ignoring serious human rights violations, stating, “Türk turns a blind eye to atrocious crimes.” He criticized the commissioner for not advocating for the human rights of Venezuelans residing in the United States and El Salvador.
Presently, 252 Venezuelans who were deported from the U.S. are detained in a high-security prison in El Salvador. Türk has recently urged U.S. authorities to cease deporting Venezuelans who might face arrest upon returning to their country and expressed concerns regarding the absence of due process in these mass deportations.
The Venezuelan National Assembly’s outrage seems to have been fueled by Türk’s recent address at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. In this speech, he highlighted an escalating suppression of civil liberties following Venezuela’s parliamentary elections in June and subsequent unrest triggered by Maduro’s contested re-election. These concerns resonate with earlier warnings from his office and other human rights organizations.
Despite credible evidence challenging the outcome, electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party proclaimed Maduro the victor of the July 2024 presidential election. Türk, during his remarks last week, voiced his apprehension about the detainees’ conditions, noting issues such as denial of medical care, and lack of food and water access. “Some prisoners were subjected to incommunicado detention,” Türk reported to the council.
In response, lawmakers have called on Maduro to consider withdrawing Venezuela’s membership from the Human Rights Council while Türk holds his current position. As of now, Türk’s office has not issued any immediate statement regarding the decision by Venezuela’s National Assembly.
This development casts uncertainty over the United Nations human rights office’s status in Caracas. The office had partially resumed its functions last December after previously being forced to close and expel its staff when Maduro’s government accused the agency of supporting “coup-plotters and terrorists” amidst rising tensions leading to the presidential election.