U.N. Says Venezuela's 'Repressive State' Remains Intact Despite Ouster Of Maduro

A United Nations fact-finding mission said Venezuela's "repressive state" remains largely intact following the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces earlier this year, warning that the institutions responsible for human rights abuses continue to operate under the country's new leadership.

In a report presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council, investigators said the "institutional structures facilitating human rights violations have not been dismantled" since Maduro's ouster in early January. The mission documented 87 politically motivated detentions during the period after his removal and said senior military and government officials previously linked to crimes against humanity still hold positions of power.

The findings, reported by Reuters, echo concerns raised by human rights groups that the change in leadership has not fundamentally altered Venezuela's security and intelligence apparatus. Alfredo Romero, director of the Venezuelan legal rights organization Foro Penal, told the outler that there "is still a repressive system, a justice system that is used to persecute."

The United Nations is not alone in issuing similar warnings in recent reports examining the aftermath of the U.S. military operation that led to Maduro's capture. In its World Report 2026, Human Rights Watch said the intervention could "consolidate the country's repressive government so long as it serves U.S. political and business interests."

Amnesty International also criticized the operation, describing it as a violation of international law and warning that it could reinforce authoritarian practices rather than dismantle them. "Two wrongs don't make a right," said Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard, who argued that both U.S. actions and Venezuelan state abuses require accountability.

Maduro's former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, assumed power as interim president following his capture and has since overseen a series of policy changes aimed at stabilizing the economy. The Trump administration has signaled a willingness to work with Rodríguez, praising her cooperation and supporting reforms to open Venezuela's oil and mining sectors to foreign investment.

Opposition figures,however have cast doubt on the possibility of political reform under the interim leadership. María Corina Machado, the country's most prominent opposition leader, has highlighted that Rodríguez was "one of the main architects" of the previous government's repression and argued that the security structures built under Maduro remain intact.

The U.N. mission called for the immediate release of all remaining political detainees and urged Venezuelan authorities to allow investigators continued access to the country. "Venezuela cannot be said to truly be on the road to human rights reform unless and until that repressive apparatus is dismantled," said mission representative María Eloisa Quintero.