UN chief voices concern over human rights violations in Venezuela

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concerns about alleged human rights violations in Venezuela during a phone call with President Nicolas Maduro on Friday, marking their first conversation since the disputed July 28 presidential election.

In the call, Guterres voiced unease over reports of post-election violence and accusations of human rights abuses in the politically fraught South American nation, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. “The Secretary-General stressed the need to resolve any political dispute peacefully, through genuine and inclusive dialogue,” Dujarric said in a daily briefing. Guterres also “took note” of Maduro’s position on the situation.

President Maduro, who described the 15-minute exchange, said he informed Guterres about the “struggle we are waging against fascism” and referred to the opposition as the “devil,” terms he frequently uses when addressing the movement seeking to oust him.

Following the contentious election, Venezuela’s regime-aligned National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner with 52% of the vote. However, the opposition, along with dozens of countries, has refused to recognize the outcome, demanding a detailed vote breakdown, which the CNE has yet to provide. The opposition claims that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who has since sought asylum in Spain, received over 60% of the vote.

In response to the political unrest, seven nations across the Americas — Argentina, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, and Uruguay — have urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate “grave violations” in Venezuela. Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling for an end to “the intensification of repression after the last elections” and an inquiry into potential crimes against humanity.