Human Rights and Freedom in Venezuela

https://www.humantruth.info/venezuela_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2019

#antisemitism #canada #venezuela #venezuela_antisemitism

Venezuela Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	115th best
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	28.9m₁
Life Expectancy	70.55yrs (2017)₂

Venezuela is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Venezuela does better than average in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₃, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₄ and in freethought₅. However Venezuela performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₆ (amongst the worst in The Americas), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₇ (one of the worst in The Americas), LGBT equality in the 2020s₈, opposing gender inequality₉ (one of the worst in The Americas), combatting modern slavery₁₀, supporting press freedom₁₁ (amongst the worst in The Americas) and in its average Freedom in the World rating (amongst the highest in The Americas). President Nicolás Maduro has been increasingly dictatorial, damaging and dismantling Venezuela's democratic institutions₁₂. Security forces are increasingly abusive₁₂. The justice system is no longer independent of government₁₂. Harassment of critics continues, with arbitrary arrests of opponents "as his rule became more brutal and autocratic" at the expense of good governance - food and medicine shortages have come to affect many₁₂. The United Nations reported in 2017 that rights abuses have been extensive₁₂. Eleven Latin American states (and Canada) signed the Lima Declaration in 2017, condemning "the assault on democratic order and the systematic violation of human rights in Venezuela"₁₂. By 2021, the Global Peace Index categorized Political Terror in this country to be in the worst possible category (5/5), and rated it as one of the most disturbed countries in the world₁₃.

1. Venezuela's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #venezuela

Compared to The Americas (2025)₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₄
1	Canada	17.0
2	Uruguay	30.8
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
27	St Lucia	90.3
28	Dominica	92.0
29	Nicaragua	94.0
30	Venezuela	94.1
31	St Kitts & Nevis	98.9
32	Haiti	104.1
33	Cuba	106.0
34	Grenada	107.1
35	Antigua & Barbuda	123.5
	The Americas Avg	75.88
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₄
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
98	Nepal	93.0
99	Burkina Faso	93.5
100	Nicaragua	94.0
101	Venezuela	94.1
102	Senegal	94.6
103	Kosovo	96.1
104	Singapore	97.8
105	Bhutan	98.0
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₅. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₅.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₅, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₅.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Venezuela stated:

“Lack of access to economic and social rights remained a serious concern, with the majority of the population experiencing severe food insecurity and unable to access adequate healthcare. The security forces responded with excessive force and other repressive measures to protests, involving various sectors of the population, to demand economic and social rights, including the right to water. Impunity for ongoing extrajudicial executions by the security forces persisted. Intelligence services and other security forces, with the acquiescence of the judicial system, continued to arbitrarily detain, torture and otherwise ill-treat those perceived to be opponents of the government of Nicolás Maduro.
A report by the UN Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Venezuela exposed patterns of crimes against humanity and called for investigations into several named government officials. Prison conditions remained a major concern, especially regarding overcrowding and the use of illegal detention centres, as well as access to basic rights such as water and food. Despite the adoption of legal reforms regarding the administration of justice, access to the right to truth and reparations for victims of human rights violations remained a challenge. Between 240 and 310 people remained arbitrarily detained on political grounds. The state's repressive policies targeted journalists, independent media and human rights defenders. Illegal mining and violence threatened Indigenous peoples' rights in the Orinoco Mining Arc. Abortion was still criminalized in almost all circumstances. Violence against women persisted, despite the existing legal framework. There was no progress in ensuring the rights of LGBTI people. By the end of the year more than 7.1 million Venezuelans had fled the country.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₆

“[In 2017] President Nicolás Maduro continued to eviscerate Venezuela's democracy and economy under the guise of [working] against those whom he calls the imperialists. But as his rule became more brutal and autocratic, his corrupt and incompetent management of the economy became painfully apparent. This potentially wealthy nation was left destitute [with food and medicine shortages affecting many].
Maduro managed to stay in office, due largely to the violent repression he was willing to deploy. Taking advantage of a subservient Supreme Court and the Constituent Assembly that he created to take over legislative powers from the opposition-controlled National Assembly, he carried out a brutal crackdown on dissent.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₇

In a section called 'Humanitarian Crises', Human Rights Watch state:

“Venezuelans are facing severe shortages of medicine, medical supplies, and food, seriously undermining their rights to health and food. In 2017, the Venezuelan health minister released official data for 2016 indicating that, in one year, maternal mortality increased 65 percent, infant mortality increased 30 percent, and cases of malaria increased 76 percent.
Days later, the minister was fired. Cases of severe malnutrition of children under 5 years old increased from 10.2 percent in February 2017 to 14.5 percent in September 2017, crossing the World Health Organization crisis threshold, according to Cáritas Venezuela.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₂

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2025₁₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
156	Bahrain	30.24
157	Pakistan	29.62
158	Turkey	29.40
159	Venezuela	29.21
160	Cambodia	28.18
161	Saudi Arabia	27.94
162	Palestine	27.41
163	UAE	26.91
	The Americas Avg	55.99
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Venezuela is 21st-worst in the world in terms of supporting press freedom (one of the lowest in The Americas).

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₈

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

“For more than a decade, the government has expanded and abused its power to regulate media and has worked aggressively to reduce the number of dissenting media outlets. [...] . While some newspapers, websites, and radio stations criticize the government, fear of reprisals has made self-censorship a serious problem.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₂

Averages by decade for Venezuela (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Venezuela:	29.15	58.11
World Rank:	111th	⇣ 131st
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₁₀
Pos.		Slavery in the 2020s Per 1000₁₀
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
134=	Syria	8.70
135	Armenia	8.90
136=	Moldova	9.50
136=	Venezuela	9.50
138	Jordan	10.00
139	Bosnia & Herzegovina	10.10
140=	Papua New Guinea	10.30
140=	S. Sudan	10.30
	The Americas Avg	5.84
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

With regard to combatting modern slavery, Venezuela ranks 136th in the world.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₉. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₀, Eritrea₂₀, Indonesia₂₁) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₂₀, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₂₂.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for Venezuela (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Venezuela:	5.60	9.50
World Rank:	106th	⇣ 136th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
172=	Cameroon	6.0
173=	Vietnam	6.5
173=	Bahrain	6.5
173=	Venezuela	6.5
173=	Yemen	6.5
173=	Uzbekistan	6.5
173=	UAE	6.5
173=	Congo, DR	6.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

In terms of its average Freedom in the World rating, Venezuela is positioned 20th-worst in the world (amongst the highest in The Americas).

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Venezuela (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Venezuela:	1.8	1.6	2.8	3.9	5.4
World Rank:	24th	⇣ 26th	⇣ 77th	⇣ 123rd	⇣ 152nd
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.4. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₇
Pos.		2017 Score₇
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
82=	S. Sudan	-5
82=	Zimbabwe	-5
82=	Bahrain	-5
82=	Venezuela	-5
82=	Oman	-5
82=	Tajikistan	-5
82=	Lebanon	-5
82=	Mali	-5
	The Americas Avg	-0.8
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Amongst the lowest in The Americas Venezuela is 78th in the world when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.5. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₄
Pos.		2009 Treaties₄
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
52=	Colombia	19
52=	Switzerland	19
52=	UK	19
52=	Venezuela	19
52=	Lesotho	19
52=	Rwanda	19
52=	Finland	19
52=	Netherlands	19
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

With regard to its nominal commitment to Human Rights, Venezuela ranks 51st in the world.

There are many international agreements on Human Rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of Human Rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.6. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₃
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
33	Mongolia	6.26
34	Poland	6.34
35	Cape Verde	6.40
36	Venezuela	6.51
37	Italy	6.56
38	Russia	6.58
39	UK	6.62
40	Portugal	6.69
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Venezuela is 36th in the world when it comes to speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

Venezuela is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₉
Pos.		2022₉
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
129	Tanzania	0.51
130	Ghana	0.52
131	Zimbabwe	0.52
132	Venezuela	0.52
133	Pakistan	0.52
134	Zambia	0.52
135	Angola	0.53
136	Gabon	0.53
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Amongst the highest in The Americas Venezuela comes 132nd in the world with regard to opposing gender inequality.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Averages by decade for Venezuela (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Venezuela:	0.55	0.50	0.50
World Rank:	73rd	⇣ 94th	⇣ 116th
World Avg:	0.44	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₆
Pos.		2022 %₆
1	Sweden	31.8₂₄
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₅
3	Australia	37.0₂₅
	...
44	China	91.8₂₅
45	Armenia	92.1₂₅
46	Ecuador	92.3₂₅
47	Venezuela	92.4₂₅
48	Nicaragua	93.2₂₅
49	Kazakhstan	93.4₂₅
50	Morocco	93.7₂₅
51	Vietnam	93.8₂₅
	The Americas Avg	82.90
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

One of the highest in The Americas when it comes to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), Venezuela comes 47th in the world.

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
61=	Panama	1946
61=	Cameroon	1946
61=	Macedonia	1946
61=	Venezuela	1946
61=	Guatemala	1946
61=	Vietnam	1946
61=	Trinidad & Tobago	1946
68=	Singapore	1947
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Venezuela comes 58th in the world in terms of the year from which women could participate in democracy.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₃
Pos.		2014 %₃
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
42=	Latvia	28
43=	Montenegro	29
43=	Spain	29
45=	Venezuela	30
45=	Moldova	30
45=	Russia	30
45=	Bolivia	30
49=	Georgia	32
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Venezuela ranks 46th in the world when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₂₆_,₂₇_,₂₈_,₂₉. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₀, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₁_,₃₂. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₃. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₄.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#2020s #equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₈
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score₈
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
125	Vatican City	-1.45
126	Georgia	-1.49
127	Swaziland	-1.51
128	Venezuela	-1.63
129	Central African Rep.	-1.74
130	Lebanon	-1.84
131	China	-1.91
132	Cook Islands	-2.17
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Regarding LGBT equality in the 2020s, Venezuela ranks 128th in the world.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₅. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₃₆. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₃₇. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s₃₈_,₃₉. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

" LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Homosexuality has been legal in Venezuela since 1997, when Article 375 of the Penal Code was removed and consensual same-sex relations became decriminalized. Despite this, Venezuela today has no recognition of same-sex marriage or civil unions, adoption rights are denied, and protections against discrimination are limited. Social acceptance is mixed, with urban centers showing more tolerance than rural areas. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Venezuela had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination, and other protections.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.
⇡ In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
⇡ Voted in favour of the 2014 Resolution 27/32 at the UN Human Rights Council against discrimiantion based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
⇣ Voted for the 2016 UN Human Rights Council Resolution 32/2 to create the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
⇣ In 2022, voted against renewal of the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Averages by decade for Venezuela (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average	2020s Average
Venezuela:	-4.50	-4.50	-3.50	1.30	2.60	-1.63
World Rank:	128th	⇣ 129th	⇣ 131st	⇡ 58th	⇡ 47th	⇣ 128th
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₅
Pos.		2021₅
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
84=	UK	2.8
84=	Malta	2.8
84=	Denmark	2.8
84=	Venezuela	2.8
88=	Uganda	3.0
88=	Belize	3.0
88=	Moldova	3.0
88=	Mexico	3.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Venezuela comes 65th in the world regarding freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₄₀. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₁. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₂ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₃. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₄. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₅_,₄₅ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₅_,₄₆.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₇. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₁, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₄₈ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₄₉ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).