The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, announced this Friday, 30, a bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners, including opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons.
The measure had long been sought by the US-backed opposition. It is the latest concession made by Rodríguez since taking command of the country on January 3, following the audacious capture of then-president Nicolás Maduro in a US military raid on Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.
Rodríguez told a meeting of judges, magistrates and others that the National Assembly, controlled by the ruling party, would urgently consider the bill. “May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation”, he added during the televised event.
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Venezuelan prisoner rights group Foro Penal estimates that 711 people are in detention facilities across the South American country for their political activities.
The government did not release the text of the bill on Friday, leaving unclear the specific criteria that will be used to determine who qualifies for amnesty.
Rodríguez’s government earlier this month had announced plans to release a significant number of prisoners as a gesture of goodwill, but relatives of those detained have condemned the slow pace of releases.
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*Content translated with the help of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Broadcast Editorial Team
