“Venezuela continues to release political prisoners, 30 more people were released on Sunday.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: Reuters with reference to the families of released political prisoners and the human rights group Foro Penal
Details: Among those released are the associates of the Nobel laureate and oppositionist Maria Corina Machado Juan Pablo Guanipa and the famous lawyer Perkins Rocha.
Advertising:
Reuters notes that these are the latest high-profile releases by the authorities in Caracas, which is under pressure from the United States to release political prisoners.
Human rights group Foro Penal reported that 30 political prisoners were released on Sunday. The organization also confirmed that since January 8, when the Venezuelan government announced the beginning of a new series of releases, 383 political prisoners have been released.
Rocha, a lawyer for the Vente Venezuela opposition movement, was arrested in August 2024 on charges of terrorism and related crimes. Guanipa was arrested last May after months in hiding on charges of leading a terrorist plot. Both deny all allegations, both directly and through their relatives and supporters.
Earlier this month, Guanipa’s family said they were able to see him in person for the first time in months and that he was in good physical condition.
Rocha’s family complained that the lawyer was detained without regular contact with relatives and defense attorneys.
In her statement, Machado noted the latest releases, calling for the release of all political prisoners.
Venezuela’s opposition and rights groups have claimed for years that the country’s socialist government is using detention to suppress dissent.
Reuters notes that the government denies holding political prisoners and claims the prisoners have committed crimes. Officials say nearly 900 of those people have been laid off, but they did not specify when and appear to include layoffs from previous years. The government has not provided an official list of the number of prisoners to be released, and has not disclosed their names.
Others released so far include Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of former opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. Tudares spent more than a year in prison, during which he was sentenced to 30 years in prison on terrorism charges, which his family vehemently denies.
Venezuela’s interim president, Delsey Rodríguez, announced a proposed “amnesty law” for hundreds of the country’s prisoners and said the notorious Helicoide detention center in Caracas, long condemned by human rights groups as a place of prisoner abuse, would be turned into a center for sports and social services.
The bill, which provides for immediate pardons for those jailed for participating in political protests or criticizing public figures, returning the property of detainees and canceling Interpol measures and other international measures previously taken by the government, was approved in a first vote in the National Assembly this week. To enter into force, it must be approved in the second reading.
Prehistory:
- At the end of January, US President Donald Trump said that Venezuela was releasing its political prisoners at an accelerated pace.
- On January 11, US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela had begun a large-scale release of political prisoners.
- On January 16, it became known that Venezuela released imprisoned citizens of the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands and Germany.
We will remind: Trump has said the United States will take over leadership of Venezuela until there is a clear and secure transition of power there, and suggested that could take years.