‘Much more persecution’: Venezuela braces for Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration

Bogota, Colombia – Jesus Medina Ezaine had already spent 16 months successful a Venezuelan subject prison, accused of crimes helium said were related to his enactment arsenic a photojournalist.

But different situation stint seemed imminent, peculiarly aft the contested re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

With Maduro acceptable to beryllium sworn successful for a 3rd term, Medina, 43, made a hard decision: to fly his location successful Venezuela for the comparative information of Bogota, the superior of neighbouring Colombia.

“Before they could enactment maine backmost successful prison, I decided to escape,” said Medina.

Maduro’s authorities has agelong faced disapproval for the alleged repression of governmental rivals. But Friday’s inauguration ceremony is acceptable to bring the caller electoral situation to a head, with observers informing that the unit whitethorn escalate arsenic Maduro strives to clasp onto power.

“The authorities  is going to bash everything they tin to guarantee that Maduro tin beryllium re-inaugurated and that helium tin proceed with his administration,” said Juan Pappier, lawman manager of Human Rights Watch’s Americas division.

“If they spot that anticipation challenged successful immoderate way, for illustration done [opposition-led] demonstrations, they are going to repress them brutally.”

Jesus Medina Ezaine spent 16 months successful a Venezuelan subject situation from 2018 to 2020 [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera]

A clime of fear

Medina remembers his last months successful Venezuela arsenic being drenched successful fear.

In the lead-up to the arguable election, helium had joined the run of absorption person Maria Corina Machado arsenic a photographer, documenting her efforts to galvanise enactment for statesmanlike campaigner Edmundo Gonzalez.

But that enactment erstwhile again made him a target.

Medina was not chartless to the Maduro government: In 2018, helium was arrested connected charges of wealth laundering, transgression relation and inciting hate, each of which helium denies.

Instead, helium maintains his apprehension was successful retaliation for his reporting connected quality rights abuses. He was held without proceedings successful the Ramo Verde subject situation until January 2020.

“The Venezuelan authorities does not tolerate immoderate comments oregon accusation against them,” helium said.

“The media is scared,” Medina added. “Freedom of look successful Venezuela has been wholly mislaid due to the fact that journalists wrong Venezuela are doing what they tin to debar imprisonment.”

But the presidential election connected July 28, 2024, brought political repression worse than immoderate Medina had witnessed before.

Hours aft polls closed, the National Electoral Council named Maduro the winner, without offering its accustomed breakdown of voting tallies.

Meanwhile, the absorption published receipts of the votes that alternatively suggested Gonzalez had won the predetermination with astir 70 percent of the vote. As protests erupted implicit the alleged electoral fraud, a authorities crackdown ensued.

As authorities forces swept the streets for protesters, seizing dissidents from their homes, Medina said helium was tipped disconnected that helium would beryllium jailed — again.

He rapidly went into hiding. Medina spent 2 months holed up successful antithetic locations successful the superior Caracas, trying to debar arrest. He said the country’s quality forces had already knocked astatine the doorway of his location successful the city.

Feeling cornered, Medina decided to fly connected September 15 to Bogota, wherever helium has stayed ever since.

Jesus Medina Ezaine has said helium hid from Venezuelan authorities for months earlier seeking refuge overseas [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera]

A question of repression

As galore arsenic 2,500 radical were yet detained successful the post-election protests, according to authorities statistics.

Another 25 radical were killed, successful what autarkic investigators for the United Nations called “unprecedented levels of violence”.

A UN fact-finding ngo announced earlier this period that astatine slightest 56 governmental absorption activists, 10 journalists and 1 quality rights defender were among the arrested betwixt August and December.

On Tuesday, the Inter-American Commission connected Human Rights besides published a study alleging systematic authorities repression intended “to forestall the governmental information of the opposition” and “sow panic among citizens”.

But successful the lead-up to Friday’s inauguration, much than 1,500 prisoners detained successful the post-election expanse have been released, successful what critics accidental could beryllium an effort to trim scrutiny connected the government’s quality rights record.

Alfredo Romero, the manager of Foro Penal, a Venezuelan quality rights watchdog, explained that “having a fig of guiltless youths with their relatives, particularly their mothers, astatine the doorway of the prisons” holding vigils was reflecting poorly connected the Maduro administration.

Rights groups person besides questioned the accuracy of the government’s numbers.

Romero said that astatine slightest 1,749 prisoners remained successful custody arsenic of the archetypal week of January, and much alleged dissidents had since been detained.

“People whitethorn beryllium released from prison, but it doesn’t mean that caller ones won’t beryllium jailed,” helium said.

Venezuelan absorption person Maria Corina Machado greets supporters astatine a protestation against President Nicolas Maduro successful Caracas, Venezuela, connected January 9 [Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo]

Inauguration backlash

Despite wide fearfulness implicit repression, demonstrations are expected connected the time of Maduro’s 3rd inauguration.

Gonzalez, the opposition’s statesmanlike candidate, has besides pledged to instrumentality to Venezuela from his exile abroad and beryllium sworn successful connected Friday. It is unclear however oregon if helium volition travel done connected that pledge.

In a video connection posted to societal media connected Sunday, Machado, who has remained successful hiding successful Venezuela for months, called connected Venezuelans to march successful enactment of a modulation of powerfulness this week.

“Maduro is not going to permission connected his own, we indispensable marque him permission with the spot of a colonisation that ne'er gives up,” Machado said. “It is clip to basal steadfast and marque them recognize that this is arsenic acold arsenic they go. That this is over.”

In turn, the Maduro authorities has ramped up information and deployed much than 1,200 subject unit to cities crossed the state to “guarantee peace” connected inauguration day.

The authorities has besides detained much than 12 quality rights defenders, governmental activists, and relatives of absorption figures successful caller days, according to Amnesty International, a quality rights organisation.

The detainments allegedly see Gonzalez’s son-in-law, Rafael Tudares: The statesmanlike campaigner said Tudares was abducted by masked men successful Caracas connected Tuesday.

And connected Thursday, Machado herself was detained arsenic she near an anti-Maduro protest, according to absorption officials who said her proscription was fired upon. She was swiftly released.

Jesus Medina told Al Jazeera helium plans to proceed warring for a amended Venezuela [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera]

An uncertain future

The caller arrests person prompted a caller swell of planetary condemnation.

The United States Embassy successful Venezuela has called the detention of Gonzalez’s son-in-law an enactment of “intimidation” against the opposition. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that the arrests prevented him from attending Maduro’s inauguration connected Friday.

Still, Maduro’s power of authorities institutions has allowed information forces to enactment with impunity, according to the caller report from the Inter-American Commission connected Human Rights.

Medina himself believes repression successful Venezuela whitethorn escalate if Maduro remains successful powerfulness for a 3rd term.

“If we bash not execute freedom, determination volition beryllium overmuch much persecution,” said Medina. “They volition effort to enactment an extremity to everything that they see the opposition, including governmental leaders and the media.”

For now, helium added that helium hopes to proceed his enactment exposing quality rights abuses from abroad.

“What I person decided is that, nary substance what, I’ll combat for my country.”