America’s attack on Venezuela raises warnings of escalating human rights abuses

Author: Devin Windelspecht, MSc

January 9, 2025

HRRC condemns the illegal intrusion by U.S. forces into Venezuela. We stress that legitimate governance in Venezuela can come only from a government chosen by the Venezuelan people. Furthermore, we are extremely concerned by the worsening of an already dire humanitarian situation in the country as a result of political instability. International bodies and governments must prioritize and advocate for the wellbeing, rights, and freedoms of the Venezuelan people. 

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is escorted by Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terry Cole after arriving at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, January 3, 2026. [Image source: Obtained by ABC News]

Following a surprise attack on Venezuela by the United States on the night of Saturday, January 3 – which killed an estimated 75 to 80 people, according to U.S. officials, and resulted in the abduction and deportation of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to stand trial the United States – human rights organizations have sounded the alarm on the potential for a dire humanitarian and human rights crisis in the country, even as the United States’s attack has been described as a violation of international law. 

The late-night raid, which followed months of pressure on Venezuela by the Trump administration – including the seizure of oil tankers evading U.S. sanctions and the extrajudicial killing of alleged drug traffickers in boats originating from Venezuela – have set citizens of the South American country on edge as uncertainty persists as to the country’s political future. 

Donald Trump has said that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela, even as Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as acting president in Maduro’s absence. Meanwhile, opposition leader Maria Machado, whose coalition is widely believed to have won the 2025 Presidential elections in which the Maduro regime declared victory, has said the opposition is “ready and willing” to govern the country. 

Amid the uncertainty, rights groups have warned of an increase in repression in Venezuela, a country that already ranks near the bottom of global freedom and human rights indexes. Immediately after the attacks, for instance, at least 14 journalists were detained and their phones confiscated and searched. Meanwhile, security forces and pro-Maduro militias known as “colectivos” have reportedly stopped Venezuelans at checkpoints and searched their phones for anti-Maduro messages or social media posts, empowered by a 90-day state of emergency signed by Rodríguez that allows security forces to search and capture anyone who supports “the armed attack by the United States.” 

Rights groups have raised alarms that such human rights abuses might be permitted to continue so long as Rodríguez acquiesces to the Trump administration’s demands, particularly the demand for the U.S. to oversee the country’s oil production. 

In a statement, Juanita Goebertus, the Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said, “The U.S. appears poised to actively encourage Venezuela to maintain Maduro’s repressive apparatus as long as it furthers U.S. political and business interests.” Amnesty International said the attacks risk ”further escalation of human rights violations in the country, stemming either from additional U.S. operations or from the Venezuelan government’s responses to the U.S. attacks.” 

Prior to the U.S. attack, Venezuelans had already suffered years of deteriorating freedoms and rights. Repression has only increased in the aftermath of the 2025 elections, widely believed to have been rigged to favor the Maduro government. Among other human rights violations, Venezuelan security forces and colectivos have been accused of attacking and killing protesters, carrying out forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and detentions, and committing torture. Meanwhile, at least 21 Venezuelan journalists were arrested in the last year alone, in which they have faced charges including terrorism, conspiracy, and incitement of hatred. 

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Glossary 

• Abduction – kidnapping; removing a person from a location against their will. 

• Acquiesce - agree to; follow an order.  

• Alleged – claimed, not proven by enough evidence. 

• Apparatus – a way of governing. 

• Arbitrary – without significant evidence or cause.

• Authoritarian – a kind of government in which a person or singular political party controls all aspects of the country without democratic opposition. 

• Checkpoints – guarded locations on streets or other areas by authorities or armed forces, in which citizens are often required to present identification and submit to questioning to pass through. 

• Coalition – a political grouping of different parties and/or political beliefs for a similar end goal, such as winning an election. 

• Confiscated – taken by authorities. 

• Conspiracy – an attempt to overthrow a government, usually made in secret. 

• Detained – held for a period of time, but not officially arrested and charged with a crime. 

• Deportation – forcibly sending a person outside of a country. 

• Deteriorate – worsening. 

• Dire – extremely bad, awful. 

• Empower – given the authority or permission to do an action. 

• Evade – seek to get around, avoid. 

• Escalate – increase in severity or intensity. 

• Extrajudicial – outside the bounds of the law. 

• Forced disappearances – in which a person is taken and either killed or placed into prison without their whereabouts being known by their family or close relations. 

• Humanitarian – pertaining to the ability for people to live in relative dignity and security with adequate food, shelter, and other necessities.

• Incitement – intentionally causing. 

• Index – a ranking based on data. 

• International law – agreements signed by a majority of countries globally and/or that are universally applicable to all countries. 

• Legitimate – lawful authority. 

• Raid - a military exercise that is limited in scope and objectives, and does not include taking or holding territory. 

• Regime – a government that operates in an authoritarian capacity. 

• Repression – large-scale suppression of rights and freedoms in a country or area. 

• Rigged – changing or influencing the results to achieve a desired outcome. 

• Sanctions – rules that prohibit others from doing business or engaging with a particular person, group, or country.

• Seizure – taking by force. 

• State of emergency – a temporary period in which state power is increased to address a security, political, environmental or other emergency in the country. 

• Violation – breaking the rules of.