A/HRC/45/CRP.11 together with State military and police armed forces.622 The groups include the Bolívar and Chávez Battle Units (UBCh);623 the (Redes de Articulación y Acción Sociopolític (RAAS);624 the Communal Councils;625 and the Popular Units for Integral Defence (UPDI).626 Membership appears to overlap among groups, and with the Bolivarian Militia. The National Constituent Assembly president, Diosdado Cabello, has referred to information provided by community informants – including details of the meeting schedules and whereabouts of opposition politicians and human rights defenders – during his weekly television programme, “Con el Mazo Dando”, which airs on state television.627 CHAPTER III: TARGETED POLITICAL REPRESSION I. Introduction and Trends 240. In 2014, the Venezuelan opposition movement intensified efforts to change the Government. Opposition has taken many forms since then, within political, civil and diplomatic circles. It has also involved elements within the Venezuelan military, who attempted forcefully to topple the Government. Facing threats of destabilization, the Venezuelan State apparatus responded with repressive tactics and measures. 241. Analysis of events since 2014 reveals some spikes in targeted measures against dissidents. The periods corresponded with times when the Government faced heightened political pressure, particularly during the protests and political crises of 2014, 2017 and 2019. However, selective repression against certain actors has remained relatively continuous since 2014. At the same time, the Mission noted that the Government has lessened selective repressive tactics against certain public figures at key times. 242. The Mission identified various common elements to violations, with targets sometimes suffering a combination of elements. These included: (1) physical attacks or threats; (2) smear campaigns and stigmatization; (3) administrative retaliation (especially removing politicians, judges and prosecutors or civil servants from posts); (4) criminal prosecutions in judicial procedures not in compliance with due process standards; (5) 622 623 624 625 626 627 Ibid. These are the base structures of the PSUV at the local level. According to the party website, the UBCh “assume the commitment to visit the country house to house, to form a soldsolidsold network of mobilized Chavista households”. See official webpage: http://www.psuv.org.ve/temas/noticias/ubch/#.XPonXGZlLmI. In September 2018, the Government announced the creation of the RAAS (Redes de Articulación y Acción Sociopolítica). The RAAS were tasked with, among others, identifying “the enemy” within the community by mapping the socio-political preferences of its inhabitants, mobilizing the Units of Battle Hugo Chávez (UBCh), local branches of the official party. The stated communication strategy includes, “clearly identifying the historical enemy; strengthening unity to confront the enemy; maximizing the will to fight the enemy; and organizing and acquiring the necessary knowledge to defeat the enemy”. See YouTube Video, Aitor Igartua Perosanz, Venezuela (RAAS-Red de Articulación y Acción Sociopolítica), 10 September 2018, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFHk5O4GtJw. See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jPetpAjfCkÑ; http://www.psuv.org.ve/portada/psuvredarticulacion-y-accionmodelounidaddefensa-nacion/#.XPot2WZlLmI. The Communal Council are instances of participation, articulation and integration among the diverse citizens and communities organized. Under the 2009 law, these groups permit the population to participate directly in the development of public policies to respond to their needs. “Ley de los Consejos Comunales”, https://observatorioplanificacion.cepal.org/es/instituciones/consejoscomunales-de-venezuela; https://www.telesurtv.net/news/venezuela-consejos-comunales-hugochavez-20180409-0032.html; https://www.ide.go.jp/library/Japanese/Publish/Download/Report/2013/pdf/B102_ch2.pdf. See Multimedio VTV, Jefe de Estado: UPDI son un instrumento fundamental de la seguridad del país, 27 February 2020, video on file with the Mission; see also Multimedio VTV, Ministro Reverol: Cuadrantes de Paz incorporan masificación de prevención en seguridad ciudadana, 27 February 2020, video on file with the Mission. See “Con el Mazo Dando”, ¿Defensores de derechos humanos o del imperio?, 21 October 2015, available at: https://www.conelmazodando.com.ve/defensores-de-derechos-humanos-o-del-imperio/. 65