TNR Watch: When Exile is Another Tool of Authoritarianism

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González’s decision to leave his homeland comes as many other activists in Venezuela are finding themselves subject to travel bans and passport confiscations. Restrictions on the freedom of movement may not capture immediate media attention, but these limitations are often imposed by regimes that engage in other forms of severe repression such as political imprisonment and torture. Governments should recognize movement restriction as a tactic of transnational repression and do more to support targeted individuals.

Forced to flee: González fled Venezuela for Madrid to seek asylum on September 8, 2024. Before his departure, González, who was president Nicolás Maduro’s main rival during the country’s fraudulent July election, was reportedly facing death threats, an arrest warrant, and a possible exit ban. By increasing pressure on the 75-year-old opposition politician and green-lighting his airline travel to Spain, the Venezuelan government effectively removed him from political life using the well-known authoritarian tactic of forced exile.

Stop motion: The Venezuelan government has routinely restricted the freedom of movement of opposition figures like González and other activists. As part of its repertoire of repression, authorities have canceled the passports of dissidents and journalists, often without explanation. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) documented 36 instances of passports being revoked, including that of Yendri Velásquez, a Venezuelan LGBT+ advocate, who was prevented as a result from presenting before the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva. Additionally, Caracas has effectively withheld consular services from Venezuelan nationals abroad by recalling its diplomatic staff from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay in response to election-related criticism by those countries’ governments.

The Maduro regime is not the only government to enforce mobility controls against perceived critics. Freedom House has found that at least 55 governments have revoked citizenship, controlled access to official documents, denied consular services, and issued travel bans to punish, coerce, or control people they view as threats or political opponents. The informal and arbitrary application of these restrictions forecloses professional and educational opportunities and causes lasting emotional damage. An Ecuador-based coordinator of the opposition party Popular Will, Luis Magallanes, stated: “It creates concern and anxiety because without a doubt this is a form of political retaliation.”

Solidarity: Democratic governments should provide support to Venezuelans affected by these restrictions on free movement. Just as Spain promised to promptly process González’s asylum request, other host countries can ensure that their asylum policies treat victims of Maduro’s repression fairly. Among other policies, governments can emulate authorities in the Dominican Republic, Chile, and Ecuador, who have acknowledged the precarious position of Venezuelans unable to renew their identity documents and recognized their expired passports for the sake of immigration procedures.