Alex Neve, a visiting and adjunct professor of international human rights law in the Faculties of Law and Social Sciences and a Senior Fellow with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Ottawa, has been appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to serve as a member of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (FFM).
This Fact-Finding mission was established in 2019 with a mandate to investigate human rights violations committed in the country since 2014. Professor Neve, who previously served as Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, has taken part in over 40 human rights research and advocacy delegations throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, Guantanamo Bay, the Middle East and First Nations communities across Canada. Here, he gives an outline of what his work with the FFM will entail.
QUESTION: What can you tell us about the importance of this Mission?
ALEX NEVE: The Mission is a crucial, authoritative source of documentation and analysis regarding the human rights situation in Venezuela. While it has never been allowed inside Venezuela prior, the FFM produced numerous reports with hundreds of pages of detailed findings about gross human rights violations committed by the Maduro government, which we have termed to be crimes against humanity.
Among the many concerns covered by the Mission’s investigations, a critical one is the minimum of 900 political prisoners in the country, some of whom have disappeared for years into custody in Venezuelan prisons. Those prisoners need to be released but no one – not the White House, not Venezuela, nor the international community – has made this a priority (Eds Note - as of January 9, 2026, Venezuela has begun releasing some political prisoners).
Q: Is there worry that accountability for human rights violations will erode due to the current situation in the country?
A.N.: Challenges to holding officials accountable for human rights violations have been longstanding across the world and have only been made worse by U.S. President Donald Trump's contempt for international law and its institutions. That was one of the main impetuses for establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC) 25 years ago. Notably, the ICC does have an open investigation underway regarding Venezuela, so it will be notable to see if they are getting close to issuing any arrest warrants (for Maduro and/or others).
Q: How will the Mission effect change in Venezuela?
A.N.: The Mission will continue to publicize and promote its findings and urge that states implement the comprehensive recommendations we have made over the past six years for human rights reform in Venezuela. That will include regular reports to the UN Human Rights Council. We look to and expect key governments, certainly Venezuela and the United States, but others as well, including Canada, to act on our recommendations. For years they have failed to take human rights seriously in Venezuela. That must change.
Q: Does having Maduro captive in the U.S. help make it easier to hold him accountable for his alleged human rights violations?
A.N.: The U.S. is focused on drugs and corruption charges against Maduro and has prioritized gaining control of Venezuelan oil production. There are no indications they have any intention of charging Maduro with human rights crimes. If the ICC issues an arrest warrant, the U.S. could turn Maduro over to the Court to stand trial, but – the U.S., particularly under the Trump Administration – is hostile to the ICC. So it is, at best, uncertain that they would do so.
Alex Neve is a visiting and adjunct professor in international human rights law at uOttawa and has served as the Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English Branch from 2000-2020.
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