On Friday, Pedro Urruchurtu, a prominent member of Venezuela’s opposition, addressed the UN Human Rights Council, detailing his harrowing 400-day captivity under the regime of Nicolás Maduro. Urruchurtu, along with four other opposition figures, was forced to take refuge in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, where they were under constant threat from regime forces. Despite the embassy’s diplomatic status, the opposition members were effectively trapped within its walls, enduring severe hardships imposed by the Maduro government.
Urruchurtu described the conditions in the embassy as inhumane, with electricity and water access severely restricted. He recounted months without power and a mere three minutes of water every ten days. The opposition members were also subjected to continuous threats, including rifles pointed at the windows and the presence of dogs trained to attack. According to Urruchurtu, these conditions were enforced because the regime viewed their political activities as a threat. They had been supporting the campaigns of Maria Corina Machado in the opposition primaries and Edmundo González in the presidential elections, both of whom ultimately succeeded in their respective races.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, provided a grim assessment of the ongoing human rights crisis in Venezuela, noting that the situation has deteriorated since the rescue of the opposition members in May. Türk highlighted documented cases of torture and ill-treatment, with 32 individuals—including 15 adolescents—reporting such experiences. Additionally, he mentioned 28 people who had been subjected to enforced disappearances following the May 2025 parliamentary elections. Many of those missing were foreign nationals who lack access to consular assistance, exacerbating the plight of the victims.
The opposition in Venezuela has pledged to provide reparations to families of victims of recent violence. UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer called out the Maduro regime as a ‘criminal narco-terrorist dictatorship’ responsible for jailing political opponents, torturing dissidents, and suppressing free expression. He emphasized that Pedro Urruchurtu’s testimony represents the anguished cries of thousands of Venezuelans still imprisoned, persecuted, or forced into exile.
As part of the rescue effort, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the successful operation that freed the opposition members, including Urruchurtu. Following their release in May, Rubio met with the freed individuals, commending their bravery in the face of Maduro’s repression. Neuer praised the Trump administration and Rubio’s role in securing their release, asserting that such actions underscore the importance of principled diplomacy in advancing freedom and human rights globally.