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The president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, announced on Tuesday night (13) that 400 people considered political prisoners by the opposition had already been released. 
The balance includes 160 people who were released on December 23, 2024. The rest left prison later.
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Groups that monitor these prisoners dispute this number and ask for the list of names to be released. The release of prisoners would aim to de-escalate the country’s political situation.
“The decision to release certain prisoners — not political prisoners, but politicians who committed crimes against the law and the Constitution — was a deliberate act. People who incited the invasion, and had their requests granted. People who incited military aggression against Venezuela, and had their requests granted,” said Jorge, brother of Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.
The president of the Legislature responded to the provocation of opposition deputy Luís Florido. Jorge added that The government’s measure aims to “promote peaceful coexistence and national unity”which led the Executive to begin “a massive liberation process”. Jorge Rodríguez promised to make the list of released prisoners available.
“And they will continue to happen [as libertações]not because you asked us to, but because the Bolivarian government had already announced it as a unilateral gesture by the government”, added Jorge.
After the legislative session, opposition deputy Luís Florido said that he will wait for the list to be published, considering that the number of 400 releases does not match those provided by social organizations.
“We hope you can provide us with this information so that we can verify the names of those who have already been released. In addition to entering into discussions about one name or another, we believe that there are many people who have not yet been released,” said the opposition deputy.
Among those released is former Venezuelan presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, in the context of challenges to Nicolas Maduro’s re-election in July 2024.
Relatives of inmates sleep outside el Rodeo jail for the sixth night awaiting release REUTERS/Gaby Oraa – Reproduction prohibited
Divergent numbers
The non-governmental organization Foro Penal estimates that 116 people were released, which would represent 10% of the approximately 800 political prisoners that the NGO claims exist in Venezuela.
“The government, in these supposed gestures of releasing prisoners, claims to have released 100 people, but the real number is only 50. Why? Because it does not publish the list of those released and includes people who are not political prisoners,” said Alfredo Romero, president of the Penal Forum, in an interview with France 24.
The Venezuelan government denies that these people are political prisoners and claims that they were imprisoned for crimes such as insurrection, coup d’état or for requesting and organizing a US military intervention against the South American country.
On the other hand, the Venezuelan Prisoner Observatory states that, as of Wednesday morning (14), the release of 80 people had been confirmed following the , 66 Venezuelans and 14 foreigners.
“We denounce that the releases are a trickle. The lack of transparency is a State policy. Families continue to wait for mass releases, while some sleep rough near prisons, as they have no other place to stay, as they come from other states”, stated the organization.
