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Venezuela Frees Hundreds of Political Prisoners After U.S. Pressure, Hundreds Remain Detained

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Acting President Rodríguez Directs Prisoner Release Campaign After U.S. agents seized President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president and announced that more than 600 political prisoners had been freed, pledging to ask UN High Commissioner Volker Türk to verify the lists [2][3]. She framed the releases as a national‑reconciliation gesture and positioned the interim government as responsive to U.S. pressure [1]. Rodríguez’s statements contrast with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello’s claim of 808 releases since December [1].

Release Numbers Vary Widely Between Government and Rights Groups Foro Penal’s president Alfredo Romero reported 266 detainees freed since the Jan. 8 pledge, with at least 100 released in the two days preceding Jan. 27 [1]. The BBC noted that only about 80 releases had been independently confirmed, while the NGO later verified 151 releases since Jan. 8 [2][3]. Human‑rights observers accuse the state of inflating figures, highlighting the gap between official counts (over 600) and verified releases (80‑151).

U.S. Pressure and Trump Praise Influence Venezuelan Decisions The wave of releases follows the U.S. raid that captured Maduro for a New York drug‑trafficking trial, a move described as intensifying external pressure on the regime [2][3]. Former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he was “pleased” with the humanitarian gesture, underscoring continued American leverage [1]. Rodríguez’s outreach to the UN and the timing of the releases suggest a strategic response to U.S. demands.

Hundreds Remain Detained and Face Ongoing Legal Restrictions Rights groups estimate that at least 600 opposition figures, including members of the Vente Venezuela party, are still imprisoned, with families maintaining vigils outside prisons [1]. Many of those recently freed have not had charges dismissed, leaving them barred from public speech and subject to legal limbo [2]. The persistence of large detention numbers fuels domestic and international criticism of the interim government’s partial reforms.

High‑Profile Detainees Among Those Freed Among the newly released are lawyer Rafael Tudares, son‑in‑law of opposition candidate Edmundo González, who spent 380 days in custody [3], and journalist Kennedy Tejeda, held since August 2024 [2]. Their releases illustrate the broader pattern of high‑profile political figures being freed while the majority of detainees remain behind bars [1][3]. The selective nature of the releases has prompted calls for comprehensive amnesty and full legal restoration.

Sources

Timeline

July 2024 – Opposition protests after the disputed presidential election spark a crackdown that sees more than 2,000 arrests and convictions for treason, establishing the wave of political detentions that later fuels U.S. pressure. [5]

2025 – Human Rights Watch documents thousands of political prisoners held incommunicado, and the Penal Forum reports 863 detainees, highlighting the scale of repression preceding 2026 events. [8]

Dec 26, 2025 – Venezuelan authorities release 99 prisoners in a first mass release, marking the start of a series of goodwill gestures amid mounting international scrutiny. [20]

Jan 1, 2026 – The government frees 88 more detainees, bringing the two‑week total to 187, while NGOs estimate roughly 900 political prisoners remain. [20]

Jan 3, 2026 – U.S. forces capture President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and fly him to New York for a drug‑trafficking trial; a nationwide decree then authorizes the arrest of anyone who “promotes or supports” the operation. [9]

Jan 6, 2026 – Security forces detain at least 14 foreign journalists covering the aftermath of the Maduro raid, with military counter‑intelligence agents searching equipment and phones, underscoring a broader clampdown on information. [5]

Jan 8, 2026 – Acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s interim government begins releasing high‑profile prisoners, including opposition figures Enrique Márquez and Biagio Pilieri from El Helicoide, framing the step as a “peace gesture.” [8][10]

Jan 9, 2026 – The government announces that “more than 100” political prisoners have been freed, while rights groups verify only nine releases and families gather outside El Helicoide demanding proof of life. [16][3][7]

Jan 10, 2026 – National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez declares that both Venezuelan and foreign detainees will be freed, and families camp outside Rodeo I and El Helicoide as a small number of prisoners walk out. [17]

Jan 11, 2026 – On the third day of releases, former political prisoner Diógenes Angulo celebrates his freedom and learns that “Maduro was captured by U.S. forces,” while rights groups report fewer than 20 releases total and over 800 still detained. [15]

Jan 12, 2026 – Foro Penal verifies 49 prisoners freed, including several foreigners; opposition son Ramón Guanipa warns President Trump that “only about 40” have been released and urges continued pressure. [14][3]

Jan 13, 2026 – Human‑rights monitors confirm 56 political prisoners have been released, but the government provides no public list, prompting families to demand video proof of their relatives’ wellbeing. [7]

Jan 14, 2026 – An unnamed source reports that four Americans are released, and the U.S. State Department welcomes the “important step,” while former President Trump posts that Venezuela “starts the process of releasing political prisoners in a significant way.” [6][13]

Jan 15, 2026 – Acting President Delcy Rodríguez vows to keep freeing detainees, saying the process “is not yet concluded,” and notes that “about 800 remain detained, with at least 72 freed so far.” [12]

Jan 22, 2026 – Rafael Tudares, son‑in‑law of opposition candidate Edmundo González, returns home after 380 days of “unjust and arbitrary detention,” as Foro Penal records 151 releases since Jan 8. [2]

Jan 25, 2026 – Foro Penal confirms a minimum of 80 political prisoners are freed, while Delcy Rodríguez claims “more than 600” have been released, highlighting divergent narratives between the government and rights groups. [1]

Jan 27, 2026 – Foro Penal tallies 266 political prisoners released since Jan 8; interior minister Diosdado Cabello inflates the figure to 808; Delcy Rodríguez says she will call UN High Commissioner Volker Türk to verify the lists, and President Trump praises the “powerful humanitarian gesture.” [11][1]

Late Jan 2026 (planned) – Acting President Rodríguez intends to request UN verification of the release lists from High Commissioner Volker Türk, aiming for external oversight of the detainee situation. [1]

Early Feb 2026 (expected) – A White House meeting between opposition leader María Corina Machado and President Trump is slated, reflecting continued U.S. diplomatic engagement on Venezuela’s political‑prisoner issue. [14]

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