‘Venezuela is often discussed from a truncated perspective’

The ousting of Nicolás Maduro at the beginning of the year highlighted the tense political situation and existing conflicts in Venezuela. Political uncertainty such as tensions with the USA, an ongoing humanitarian crisis and documented human rights violations characterise everyday life for many people in Venezuela. Bielefeld academics are researching the situation in the country, for example on human rights and migration. Some of them come from Venezuela themselves. On Monday, 19 January, experts, including Venezuelan academics, will discuss the situation in Venezuela in the panel discussion "What is going on in Venezuela? Voices from the Diaspora" at the university about the current situation in the country.

Round table: Political situation and human rights in Venezuela

On Monday, 19 January, researchers from the "Peace and Mobility" research project, led by Dr Camilo Forero, will host a public discussion from 5 to 7 p.m. on the topic: "What Is Going On in Venezuela? Voices from the Diaspora". The event will take place in the main building, room S1-217. Venezuelan academics and members of the Venezuelan diaspora in Germany will analyse the current political and human rights situation in Venezuela, the structural causes of the ongoing crisis and the role of the diaspora. They will also discuss perspectives for the future development of the country at the interface of politics, international law, human rights and migration. The event will be held in English and is aimed at all interested parties inside and outside the university. Questions can also be asked in German; interpretation will be provided if required. The round table will also be broadcast online via Zoom. Interested parties can register.

"Making the perspectives of people seeking protection visible"

María Gabriela Trompetero Vicent is a Venezuelan doctoral student in the "Peace and Mobilities" project at Bielefeld University. She is researching forced migration and human rights with a focus on Venezuela.

In 2025, Venezuelans made up the largest group of asylum seekers in the European Union. Trompetero Vicent investigates the causes of this refugee movement using qualitative interviews, field research and the analysis of asylum statistics. Her research shows that more than eight million people have fled Venezuela since 2014 due to the entrenchment of the regime, systematic repression and humanitarian need.

"The electoral fraud in 2024 and the violent repression of the subsequent protests have further exacerbated this dynamic," she says. In international and academic debates, the perspective of those affected is often neglected. The complex social, political and historical context is often ignored, in particular the systematic human rights violations that have been going on for over twenty years, poorly planned government policies and decades of corruption as the central causes of the humanitarian crisis. "The causes of the crisis are often presented in a truncated way, although many structural problems existed long before the sanctions," says Trompetero Vicent.

The considerable foreign influence, for example from Cuba and Russia, is also often not sufficiently taken into account in debates about state sovereignty, while the Maduro regime has repeatedly violated international law. At the same time, systematic human rights violations, crimes against humanity and electoral fraud have been comprehensively documented by Venezuelan organisations, international institutions and UN mechanisms. "Despite years of peaceful and democratic efforts by Venezuelan society, international reactions have remained largely ineffective," says Trompetero Vicent.