Since 2015, Venezuela has faced a complex humanitarian emergency affecting access to food, health, basic services and human mobility, alongside a rapid deterioration of civic and democratic space. The political context is marked by high polarisation, institutional conflict and limited citizen participation. Since the controversial July 2024 presidential elections, lack of transparency, repression and international isolation have deepened the human rights crisis.
The crisis has driven unprecedented migration, with almost 8 million people leaving Venezuela, nearly 7 million of them hosted in Latin American countries such as Colombia and Peru. Human mobility remains central to the humanitarian response, reflecting vulnerability and protection risks. The departure of young and productive people has also affected civic space by reducing active participation, social cohesion and community engagement on political and social rights.
CSOs operate under mounting restrictions. The NGO Law introduces strict controls on the operation and financing of social organisations, potentially limiting their autonomy, while the draft Law against Fascism, Neo-Fascism and Similar Expressions has raised concerns due to ambiguous wording, broad sanctions and possible use to restrict legitimate opinion and public action.
Since the July 2024 elections, organisations have documented attacks, court summonses, mobility restrictions, stigmatisation campaigns and arbitrary detentions targeting organisations, human rights defenders and activists. In July 2025, the National Assembly declared UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk persona non grata and requested the permanent closure of the OHCHR office. Despite this, Venezuelan civil society remains active in human rights, humanitarian assistance, policy monitoring and community strengthening.