LGBTQ Venezuelans face unprecedented persecution after disputed election
Venezuela’s LGBTQ community is in an extremely vulnerable situation due to the increasing repression and systematic human rights violations that President Nicolás Maduro’s regime has perpetrated after July 28’s disputed election.
Local activists and international organizations have widely documented the situation, and the queer community is one of the groups most affected by this wave of repression.
A prominent Venezuelan LGBTQ activist, who has requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, has described the situation as desperate. “In Venezuela, unlike most Latin American countries, no meaningful recognition has been achieved for the LGBTIQ+ population,” she said in an interview with Washington Blade from Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. “There is no equal marriage, no identity recognition for trans people, and existing anti-discrimination laws are never enforced in practice.
This has led the community to seek new forms of resistance, such as supporting opposing candidates.” The activist highlighted the lack of recognition and protection of rights has led to a consolidation around presidential candidate Edmundo González and other opposition figures.
