Inter-American Court of Human Rights finding Venezuela violated the rights to political participation and freedom of expression under the American Convention on Human Rights when individuals lost their jobs after the government published the list of signatures for a presidential recall referendum.
As of 2021, Venezuela had yet to comply with the Court’s orders.
This case demonstrates that political petitions constitute a form of expression protected by the American Convention on Human Rights. A positive obligation exists for governments to protect against retaliation in relation to participation in the political process. Termination of employment cannot be a means to silence opposition and punish political participation. Even if a contract allows for termination, it cannot be used to hide retaliation.
For their contributions, special thanks to ESCR-Net member: the Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy (PHRGE) at Northeastern University.
