More than 30 political prisoners were released in Venezuela on Sunday, but organizations and families warn that the pace of the entire process is too slow. The government presented an amnesty proposal and a plan to transform a well-known prison.
More than 30 people considered to be political prisoners were released in Venezuela on Sunday, the organization Foro Penal announced. This is part of the announced dismissals, which, according to the families of the convicts, are proceeding too slowly. It was reported by the Reuters agency, writes TASR.
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced an amnesty bill for hundreds of prisoners on Friday and said El Helicoide prison in the capital Caracas would be turned into a center for sports and social services. A 2022 UN report found that prisoners there were subjected to torture, which the Venezuelan government denied.
Expedited release of prisoners
The Foro Penal group said it had verified the release of 344 people it described as political prisoners since early January, including 33 on Sunday. He estimates that more than 700 of them remain behind bars.
Prisoner releases have accelerated since Venezuela announced the launch of the process on January 8. This happened after the United States detained then-President Nicolás Maduro.
Government officials deny holding political prisoners, saying all those imprisoned have committed crimes. They claim that the total number of those released has already exceeded 600, but according to Reuters, they apparently include persons released in previous years.
The prisoners’ families say their releases are proceeding too slowly and, along with human rights activists, they are calling for the charges and sentences against those they see as political prisoners to be overturned.
