government: federal republic
state of civil and political rights: Not free
constitution: 30 December 1999
legal system: open, adversarial court system
legislative system: unicameral National Assembly
judicial system: Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia
religion: 96% Catholic, 2% Protestant, 2% other
death row:
year of last executions: 0-0-0
death sentences: 0
executions: 0
international treaties on human rights and the death penalty:International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
1st Optional Protocol to the Covenant
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (aiming to the abolition of the death penalty)
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
American Convention on Human Rights
Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to abolish the Death Penalty
Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture
Statute of the International Criminal Court (which excludes the death penalty)
situation:
In 1863 Venezuela formally abolished the death penalty, making it the first modern state to do so.
Art. 58 of the 1999 Constitution states: "The right to life is inviolable. Neither the law can provide for the death penalty, nor any authority put it into effect." In 1994 a proposal to reintroduce the death penalty in Venezuela came before the legislature but it was not accepted.
On December 19, 2016, Venezuela co-sponsored and voted again in favour of the Resolution on a Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty at the UN General Assembly.
On 29 September 2017, Venezuela voted again in favour of the Resolution on the Death Penalty at the 36° session of the UN Council on Human Rights.
