On the case of Rocío San Miguel and General Hernández Da Costa, among other political prisoners in Venezuela

B90183/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Rocío San Miguel and General Hernández Da Costa, among other political prisoners in Venezuela

(2024/2618(RSP))

The European Parliament,

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the use of politically motivated arbitrary detentions are part of a policy of repression implemented by the government of Nicolás Maduro and part of a widespread and systematic attack against the population of Venezuela;

B. whereas the lawyer, professor and human rights defender Rocío San Miguel was arbitrarily detained on 9 February 2024 and accused of treason, conspiracy, terrorism, and association to commit crimes;

C. whereas General Hernández Da Costa, who has been detained since 2018, needs urgent medical treatment as his health condition has been worsening significantly in recent weeks;

D. whereas Nicolás Maduro’s government has continually harassed, persecuted and censored activists and civil society organizations in the midst of a complex humanitarian emergency and a profound human rights crisis that is pushing an unprecedented number of people to flee in search of safety and protection;

E. whereas on 9 January 2024, the National Assembly resumed consideration of a bill that seeks to restrict and potentially criminalise and close NGOs operating in Venezuela and represents another attempt to restrict and control civil society in Venezuela;

F. whereas on 15 February, the Venezuelan government announced it was suspending the activities of the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) after they expressed "deep concern" about the arrest of Rocio San Miguel and urged her immediate release & respect for her right to legal defence;

G. whereas these facts signal a concerning escalation in the country’s attempts to evade international scrutiny and accountability and are intended to crush government opposition in the lead-up to the elections to be held on 28 July 2024;

1. Calls on the Venezuelan government to immediately cease its policy of repression, cease all attacks on civil society and immediately and unconditionally release all individuals arbitrarily detained for political reasons;

2. Calls on the Venezuelan government to provide unhindered access to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, as well as other UN Special Procedure mandates, and cooperate with international scrutiny and justice mechanisms;

3. Calls on the European External Action Service, the EU Delegation in Venezuela, the Member States and the international community to engage with the Venezuelan authorities up to the highest level, including publicly, for the immediate and unconditional release of individuals arbitrarily detained for political reasons and to step up engagement during an expected surge in the government’s policy of repression in the context of the election period;

4. Urges the Member States to maintain the sanctions imposed;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States summit participants, the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, the Organization of American States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Venezuelan authorities.