Venezuela cancels passports of journalists and activists following Maduro’s re-election

The rights group indicated that passports have been confiscated at the country’s main airport as individuals attempted to board flights. Rafael Uzcátegui, co-director of Laboratorio de Paz, stated, “Unlike murder or torture, which have a higher political cost, the government has found that passport cancellation is an effective way of neutralising and silencing critical voices with minimal effort.”

This report follows Maduro’s contentious victory in Venezuela’s July elections, a result that has been widely rejected by opposition groups and international bodies. Laboratorio de Paz was not immediately available for comment, according to Reuters.

(with inputs from Reuters)