Venezuela Forces Killed Thousands, Then Covered It Up, U.N. Says
Share
[aggregation-styles]
The New York Times
The New York Times
GENEVA — Venezuelan special forces have carried out thousands of extrajudicial killings in the past 18 months and then manipulated crime scenes to make it look as if the victims had been resisting arrest, the United Nations said on Thursday in a report detailing wide-ranging government abuses targeting political opponents.
Special Action Forces described by witnesses as “death squads” killed 5,287 people in 2018 and another 1,569 by mid-May of this year, in what are officially termed by the Venezuelan government “Operations for the Liberation of the People,” United Nations investigators reported.
Laying out a detailed description of a lawless system of oppression, the report says the actual number of deaths could be much higher. It cites accounts by independent groups who report more than 9,000 killings for “resistance to authority” over the same period.
Special Action Forces described by witnesses as “death squads” killed 5,287 people in 2018 and another 1,569 by mid-May of this year, in what are officially termed by the Venezuelan government “Operations for the Liberation of the People,” United Nations investigators reported.
Laying out a detailed description of a lawless system of oppression, the report says the actual number of deaths could be much higher. It cites accounts by independent groups who report more than 9,000 killings for “resistance to authority” over the same period.
By Nick Cumming-Bruce | 4 July 2019
RELATED TOPICS:
Sweet Lola on the Mend, Ready for a Forever Home
Animals /
19 hours ago
Clovis Daytime Burglary: 2 Suspects Arrested, 1 at Large
Crime /
1 day ago
Trump Stalled California Wildfire Aid? Ex-Aide Reveals Political Motive
Politics /
1 day ago
Russia Urges Citizens to Leave Israel as Tensions with Hezbollah Escalate
Russia has advised its citizens to leave Israel amid rising tensions with Hezbollah and Iran, reports Newsweek.
Moscow’s ambassador to...
World /
16 hours ago
Categories
Latest
Videos
World /
16 hours ago
Russia Urges Citizens to Leave Israel as Tensions with Hezbollah Escalate
Economy /
19 hours ago
Taxpayers in 24 States Will Be Able to File Their Returns Directly With the IRS in 2025
Business /
19 hours ago
California Collects Millions in Stolen Wages, but Can’t Find Many Workers to Pay Them
Animals /
19 hours ago