IACHR grants precautionary measures in favor of Xiomara del Carmen Ortiz Rivero in Venezuela

December 11, 2025

Washington, DC—The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 90/2025 on December 11, 2025, to grant precautionary measures in favor of Xiomara del Carmen Ortiz Rivero in Venezuela, in the belief that she faces a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to her rights to life, personal integrity, and health.

According to the request for these precautionary measures, the beneficiary was a parish coordinator for the Vente Venezuela political party in the state of Lara. She was allegedly arrested by officers of the State on October 13, 2025, and currently has no access to family visits, while no information has been provided about her current health condition or her conditions of detention. The State failed to provide information to the IACHR on this issue.

After assessing the legal and factual allegations made by the party who requested these precautionary measures, the IACHR noted that, since the beneficiary is deprived of liberty and has no access to visits, since no official information has been provided about her conditions of detention and current health condition, and since all domestic attempts to get a response have failed, the beneficiary faces an imminent risk in Venezuela’s current context. Further, the IACHR did not receive from the State any information about the measures that might have been taken to mitigate or otherwise address the risks faced by the beneficiary. Consequently, in keeping with Article 25 of its Rules of Procedure, the IACHR asked the State of Venezuela to take the following action:

1. Adopt any measures necessary to protect Ortiz Rivero’s rights to life, personal integrity, and health
2. Take all measures necessary to ensure that the beneficiary’s conditions of detention reflect the applicable international standards, particularly the following:
   1. Enabling contact between the beneficiary and her family, trusted legal counsel, and any other representatives, and grant her legal counsel full access to the relevant criminal case file
   2. Officially reporting on the beneficiary’s legal status (in the context of the criminal law proceedings she is being subjected to) and on whether she has been taken before court so her arrest may be reviewed
   3. Immediately conducting a comprehensive medical examination of her current health condition and ensuring that she has timely access to the specialist medical care and/or treatment she needs, as well as notifying her family and representatives of the results of this examination and care
3. Take any measures necessary to enable the beneficiary to engage in political activities without being subjected to threats, harassment, intimidation, or any other acts of violence
4. Come to an agreement with the beneficiary and her representatives concerning any measures that need to be taken
5. Report on any actions adopted to investigate the alleged events that gave rise to the adoption of these precautionary measures, in order to prevent such events from happening again in the future

The fact that these precautionary measures have been granted and their adoption by the State of Venezuela do not entail a prejudgment on a potential petition that may be filed before the inter-American system to allege violations of rights protected by the applicable instruments.

The IACHR is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) whose mandate is based on the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. Its mission is to promote and defend human rights throughout the Americas and to serve as an advisory body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR consists of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly who serve in a personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 260/25

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