The UN Human Rights Council approved on Tuesday to extend for two years the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, in a vote where Cuba was among the five countries that abstained.
The EFE agency noted that the resolution was approved with 25 votes in favor, 17 abstentions, and five against, including Cuba.
The countries that rejected the renewal were China, Cuba, Vietnam, Egypt, and Burundi, in a vote that took place on the last day of the 63rd session of the Council, held from September 7 until this Tuesday.
The island, a former ally of Caracas, once again aligned itself with the defenders of Chavismo in international forums, opposing a mechanism created precisely to document the serious human rights violations committed in Venezuela since 2014.
The Venezuelan government led by Delcy Rodríguez also rejected the renewal, arguing that the mechanism was established without the consent of the State and that steps should be taken towards its closure.
The mission, composed of Sofía Macher Batanero (Peru, president), Alex Neve (Canada), and María Eloísa Quintero (Argentina/Mexico), will continue gathering information, investigating possible serious violations, and determining accountability, with the obligation to present new reports to the Council during its sessions in 2027 and 2028.
The Council also simultaneously renewed the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue monitoring the situation in the Caribbean country.
The renewal comes weeks after the mission itself warned, in its report of September 16, that the Venezuelan repressive apparatus remains "essentially intact" despite the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, and some releases from prison.
That report —covering the period from September 2025 to August 2026— documented 64 new cases of torture since Maduro's detention, and identified at least 19 officials previously indicated for serious violations who remained in key positions or had been moved to other roles.
The laws used to criminalize dissent remain in effect, and the intelligence structures and pro-government armed groups have not been dismantled.
The Foro Penal verified 894 releases until the end of August 2026, but still counted 328 political prisoners at the beginning of September.
The Secretary General of Amnesty International, Agnès Callamard, summarized the situation bluntly at the end of September: "The same people, the same laws, the same institutions," and the same police.
The mission was established in September 2019 and its mandate has been renewed in 2020, 2022, and 2024. This is thus its fourth consecutive renewal.
The urgency of the mechanism is heightened because the Chavista regime notified in July 2026 its formal withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, a process that would take effect one year after the notification, making the UN mission the primary independent international accountability mechanism regarding Venezuela.
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