María Fernanda Rodríguez

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2023-119-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2023
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 6.42375

Longitude: -66.58973

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Venezuela
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • OHCHR: OHCHR Field office
Type of record
Named individual
Gender
Female
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity

a director of a local NGO and university professor

Type of rights defended
  • Unclear in SG Report
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

meeting with the High Commissioner

Dates of mentioned reprisals
27 January 2023
Location of mentioned reprisals
Venezuela
Reprisal information
  1. On 27 January 2023, Ms. María Fernanda Rodríguez, a director of a local NGO and university professor, was detained and questioned following her meeting with the High Commissioner and released later that day following OHCHR’s intervention. She was reportedly interrogated by the Bureau for Scientific, Criminal and Forensic Investigations (Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas, Cicpc) about the meeting and informed of a pre-existing arrest warrant against her (dated 2020), of which she had not been officially notified. At the time, the authorities informed OHCHR that Ms Rodriguez had been mistakenly detained without an official order, and that she had therefore been released shortly thereafter. Her detention and uncertainty around her legal status have significantly affected Ms. Rodriguez, who lives in fear for herself and her family due to perceived ongoing surveillance. OHCHR is following her situation in close contact with relevant authorities.
Types of reprisals suffered
  • Detention/Imprisonment: Release within a day
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
Yes
Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
No