WOLA is a leading research and advocacy organization committed to advancing human rights in the Americas. We create strategic partnerships with courageous people making social change—advocacy organizations, academics, religious and business leaders, artists, and government officials. Together, we advocate for more just societies in the Americas.
Starting on Saturday, November 13, la Comisión para los Derechos Humanos del Estado Zulia (CODHEZ) is launching the sixth edition of its Human Rights Fair (FDH), an annual event hosted by CODHEZ in alliance with a network of other human rights organizations in the state of Zulia, to allow civil society organizations and activists to offer their reflections about the human rights situation in Venezuela.
On November 3, upon concluding a three-day visit to Venezuela, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that the body is opening a formal investigation into crimes against humanity committed by civilian authorities, members of the armed forces and pro-government individuals in the context of protests and repression that have occurred since 2017.
On Monday, November 1, WOLA President Carolina Jiménez Sandoval was featured in a Q&A published in the Inter-American Dialogue’s Latin America Advisor on the implications of Alex Saab’s extradition on a potential democratic transition in Venezuela.
The extradition of Alex Saab, a close ally of Nicolás Maduro, to the United States this month has made headlines across the world, and has shed a light on the enormous and transnational scale of corruption in Venezuela.
This Wednesday, October 27 at 11 a.m. EDT, representatives of the Civic Forum will hold the first of two press conferences about the upcoming regional and local elections, in which they will discuss recent decisions to send missions to observe and accompany the elections on November 21.
On September 24, WOLA joined CEJIL, DPLF, and several other organizations in issuing a joint statement expressing concern around an administrative ruling that seeks to criminalize and restrict the critical work that civil society organizations are doing in Venezuela.
Join WOLA, the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), the Latin-American Working Group (LAWG), and the Inter-American Dialogue on Thursday, September 30 at 3:30 p.m. EDT for a conversation on Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis and the prospects for a peaceful, negotiated solution.
On September 9, WOLA Director for Venezuela Geoff Ramsey was featured in a Q&A published by the Inter-American Dialogue’s Latin America Advisor alongside OAS Director of Diversity and Social Inclusion Betilde Muñoz and former U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams. Below is Geoff’s response.
As Venezuela’s humanitarian and economic crisis has worsened in recent years, nearly 6 million (5.67 million) Venezuelans have fled to neighboring countries, sparking the largest mass displacement in the hemisphere’s recent history.
On September 16, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela issued a 220-page report on the Venezuelan justice system, finding that the country’s judicial institutions have been complicit in widespread persecution and repression
Director for Venezuela @GRamsey_LatAm
WOLA Senior Fellow and the Charles A. and Leo M. Favrot Professor of Human Relations at Tulane University
@dsmilde