The Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), which is responsible for maintaining “public order,” is accused of being a central player in the persecution of opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The investigation , conducted by an independent commission mandated by the UN, documents deaths, arbitrary mass arrests, evidence planting, torture, sexual violence and other degrading treatment in GNB facilities, which are often used as temporary detention centers.
“It shows a pattern of abuse with the aim of punishing and crushing the victims,” says Marta Valiñas, who led the commission's work.
The report emphasizes that responsibility lies with the Maduro regime.
The investigation is being made public while opposition leader María Corina Machado is in Oslo after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against Maduro.
