Published on: 2026-06-10
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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Within the framework of the investigation into crimes against humanity committed during the suppression of protests in Venezuela in 2014, an extradition request for the suspect was sent for the first time. This was reported on Tuesday by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, which was established in September 2019 by the UN Human Rights Council.
The Federal Court of Argentina has officially appealed to the authorities of Spain with a request to extradite former Colonel Efrain Enrique Verdu Torrelles, accused of the murder of demonstrators. He is among 14 officers of the Bolivarian National Guard (one of the components of the Venezuelan armed forces – editor’s note), mentioned in the lawsuit filed in Argentina in 2023.
The procedure is carried out based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows states to investigate serious international crimes committed outside the territory, regardless of the citizenship of the victims or the alleged perpetrators.
The mission emphasized that this step is a significant advancement in the fight against impunity and confirms: geographical borders cannot serve as a refuge for those who bear responsibility for crimes against humanity.
Over the years of its work, the Mission has presented several reports documenting human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed in Venezuela. The protests of 2014 became one of the largest waves of social activism during Nicolás Maduro’s presidency – against the backdrop of the gradual destruction of democratic institutions and the rule of law. The Mission established that the state’s reaction to the protests was neither accidental nor episodic: it represented a systematic and premeditated strategy of violence.
The collected evidence indicates that security forces used excessive force, including the use of live ammunition against unarmed protesters, which led to loss of life. Security forces operated in coordination with armed civilian groups known as “collectivos,” who participated in attacks and intimidation of protesters. Hundreds of students and opposition activists were subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, cruel treatment, and sexual violence both in detention centers and during transportation.
The mission has come to the conclusion that these actions were part of a system of repression controlled by the executive power and carried out with the participation of the Bolivarian National Guard, as well as civilian and military intelligence structures. Investigations also revealed the existence of a clear chain of command, which ensured the execution of repressive measures.
The mission continues monitoring the human rights situation in Venezuela and will present its next report to the Human Rights Council in September of this year.
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