The Venezuelan National Assembly, which fully supports the government of President Nicolás Maduro, unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday declaring Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, persona non grata. This decision follows strong criticism from Mr. Türk, who had denounced a series of serious violations committed in Venezuela, including arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances, before the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The Venezuelan government has firmly rejected these accusations, calling them unjustified interference in the country's internal affairs. According to the authorities, Mr. Türk demonstrated "selective bias" by not denouncing the detention conditions of Venezuelans deported to a prison in El Salvador by the United States, nor by demanding the reunification of migrant children separated from their parents on American soil.
The declaration of persona non grata has no immediate legal consequences, but it comes amid a particularly tense climate of relations between Caracas and UN institutions. The High Commissioner's office was already expelled from the country in 2023, following similar accusations of bias by the Maduro government.
Volker Türk's office has not yet officially responded to this decision. But this initiative by the Assembly, while symbolic, reflects the Venezuelan regime's persistent desire to evade any external criticism regarding human rights. Caracas clearly intends to reject any form of international scrutiny, as the country is once again under scrutiny ahead of elections scheduled for the end of the year.
Local and international NGOs condemned the parliament's decision, seeing it as a further sign of hostility toward freedom of expression and the rule of law. In a context of a prolonged institutional crisis, this de facto exclusion of the High Commissioner confirms Venezuela's growing isolation on the global diplomatic scene.
