Whereabouts of Espacio Público’s Executive Director, Carlos Correa, remain unknown

Update: Carlos Correa was released early on the morning of the 16th Jan, following his arrest by hooded officials, on 7 Jan, the organisation announced on X. His detention was among several targeting activists and opposition figures ahead of political protests.

According to witnesses, the executive director of Espacio Público, Carlos Correa, was allegedly intercepted in downtown Caracas by hooded officials on the afternoon of January 7, 2025. As of 8:30 am on January 8, his whereabouts are still unknown.

Correa was allegedly intercepted by  hooded officials, without identification, who forced him into a brown van without license plates on Avenida Bolívar in Caracas, near the Palace of Justice. Espacio Público‘s legal team went to the headquarters of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN), in Plaza Venezuela, and to the headquarters of the Military Counterintelligence Directorate (DGCIM), in Mariperez, to try to find out Correa’s whereabouts. However, the officials present at both locations denied that Correa was being held in their cells.

Since 2002, Correa has led the civil society organisation, Espacio Público, an organisation that promotes and defends human rights in Venezuela and the region, with an emphasis on the rights to freedom of expression, association and access to information.

Over the past 20 years, Correa has been the target of physical and verbal attacks by spokespeople and officials of the ruling party for constantly denouncing its practices and human rights violations.

In December 2010, supporters of the ruling party physically attacked and threatened the director of Espacio Público in the vicinity of the Federal Legislative Palace, then controlled by the ruling party majority in Parliament. Correa was hit in the head with an object and received death threats.

In November 2014, the former president of the National Assembly (AN), Diosdado Cabello, baselessly accused Correa of having “hidden interests” for denouncing the human rights situation in Venezuela. He also criticised Correa’s participation in international human rights forums and organisations, where he often exposes the ongoing human rights violations in the country.

Recently, Nicolás Maduro mentioned Correa in a television broadcast on the public media system, criticising him in a threatening manner for his work as an activist. Correa has promoted the defence of the right of association in a context of persecution of organisations and people defending human rights.

Beginning his career at Radio Fe y Alegría, where he later became the director, Correa championed community participation and freedom of expression. He trained community journalists, connected communities to the media, and led human rights-focused educational programmes. From 2001 to 2006, he served as general coordinator of the NGO Provea. As a journalist, professor, researcher at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, and human rights defender, Correa has dedicated his career to protecting human rights and exposing violations across Venezuela.

We stand with Espacio Público and strongly urge the Venezuelan State and authorities to both guarantee his safety and disclose his location immediately. Defending human rights is not a crime.

This article was provided by Espacio Público.