Assessing the Vulnerability of Civil Society Actors in Demographic Backsliding Contexts. The Risk Scale: New Global Perspectives
The Risk Scale is a research initiative led by Movimiento Vinotinto that seeks to develop and validate a universal methodology for assessing the vulnerability of civil society actors in contexts of democratic backsliding. Through comparative fieldwork in Venezuela, the project identifies patterns of repression targeting journalists, human rights defenders, labor organizers, and political activists, enabling them to anticipate risk and resist authoritarian threats. This is not just a study, it is a call to action to safeguard democracy from the ground up, not just in one country but with a global perspective
Speaker: Manuel Virgüez
Manuel Virgüez is a lawyer and director of Movimiento Vinotinto, based in Lara state. He has a recognized track record in defending human rights in contexts of high repression and territorial exclusion. He is a lawyer with solid training in civil, political, economic, and social rights, specializing in providing legal support to victims of arbitrary detention, extrajudicial executions, and violations of due process. He is a defender with a territorial focus who leads an organization with an active presence in regions outside Greater Caracas, documenting emblematic cases such as the 2017 protests and the criminalization of peaceful protest. He has developed operational units for the defense of the right to work, health, and food, with a community and regional focus. He is recognized for his ability to relate to victims, communities, and institutional actors, and possesses strategic communication skills. He has contributed to the systematization of data on human rights violations, with an emphasis on judicial impunity and state responsibility. His political analysis is clear, well-founded, and oriented toward international advocacy, including references to mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court. His work reflects a deep empathy with victims, a firm stance against impunity, and a vision of justice that transcends the legal sphere, incorporating social, historical, and spiritual dimensions.
