(Reuters) – Venezuela has canceled the passports of dozens of journalists and activists since President Nicolas Maduro claimed a re-election victory, a part of what rights teams say is an intensifying marketing campaign of repression in opposition to the authoritarian president’s opponents, the Monetary Occasions reported on Saturday.
At the least 40 folks, principally journalists and human rights activists have had their passports annulled with out rationalization, the newspaper reported, citing Caracas-based rights group Laboratorio de Paz.
The group warned that the quantity of people that have had their passports canceled is prone to be a lot larger as a result of Venezuelans’ concern of reporting instances, the FT mentioned.
Laboratorio de Paz couldn’t be instantly reached for the report.
Individuals have had their passports confiscated by authorities whereas making an attempt to board flights from the nation’s foremost airport, the newspaper reported, citing the rights group.
In contrast to homicide or torture, which have a better political price, the federal government has discovered that passport cancellation is an efficient means of neutralizing and muffling vital voices with minimal effort, the newspaper reported citing Rafael Uzcátegui, co-director of the rights group.
The report comes after Maduro was proclaimed the winner of the South American nation’s disputed July vote by electoral and judicial authorities, a declare rejected as false by the
