Disappearance and possible arbitrary detention of human rights defender Eduardo Torres

On 9 May 2025, human rights defender Eduardo Torres was last seen in Caracas. After he left a meeting in the Parque Central towers in Caracas and called his wife, telling her he will walk to their home, since then, his whereabouts are unknown. Previously, the human rights defender was subject to harassment by Venezuelan security forces.

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Eduardo Torres is a lawyer and human rights defender from Venezuela. He works in the legal team of the Venezuela Program Education-Action on Human Rights (PROVEA), a non-governmental organisation promoting and protecting economic, social, and cultural rights (DESC). Eduardo Torres provides legal assistance to victims of severe human rights violations when seeking support from national and international bodies such as United Nations and the International Labour Organisation. Eduardo Torres is a graduate student at the Law School of the Central University of Venezuela, where he is also a member of the Sindicato Asociación de Profesionales Universitarios en Funciones Administrativas y Técnicas (APUFAT).

On 9 May 2025, Eduardo Torres left a meeting in the Parque Central towers in Caracas and called his wife, telling her he will walk to their home close to the Fuerzas Armadas Avenue. Since then, his whereabouts are unknown. On 10 May, his wife and colleagues from PROVEA visited several detention centres in Caracas and asked about Eduardo Torres. However, none of the detention centres provided any information. On 11 May, his family and PROVEA members went to the Palace of Justice of Caracas to submit a habeas corpus petition. While this first submission was denied, the PROVEA team succeeded in filing the petition at the Supreme Court of Justice on 12 May.

Human rights defenders and national organisations have said that Eduardo Torres’s disappearance is a case of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance. Prior to his disappearance, the human rights defender had been harassed by Venezuelan security forces being granted precautionary measures by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) since 29 April 2024.

The disappearance of Eduardo Torres is extremely concerning in the current context of systemic threats and attacks against human rights defenders in Venezuela, a trend that has increased since the general elections in 2024. This is evident from several cases of arbitrary detention of human rights defenders such as lawyer and woman human rights defender Rocío San Miguel. The criminalisation of the work of human rights defenders and of civil society organisations monitoring the human rights in the Venezuela raises severe concerns.

Front Line Defenders expresses its concern over the possible arbitrary detention and disappearance of human rights defender Eduardo Torres, as the organisation believes this constitutes an attempt to stop his activity in the defence of human rights in Venezuela. Front Line Defenders is equally concerned at the increase of threats against human rights defenders and their arbitrary detentions with unlawful judicial processes.

Front Line Defender urges the authorities in Venezuela to:

1. Immediately release information regarding the whereabouts and legal status of human rights defender Eduardo Torres, and to ensure his rights to due process, access to justice, and legal assistance;
2. Take all necessary measures to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of human rights defender Eduardo Torres and guarantee his physical and psychological security and integrity, as well as that of his family;
3. Ensure that all human rights defenders in Venezuela are able to conduct their peaceful and legitimate activities without undue restrictions and without fear of harassment, threats or retaliation, including judicial harassment against them or their families.