The Venezuelan regime continues to ease repression following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces in January. The country’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, ordered the release of another 46 people, mostly workers at oil giant PDVSA, who were accused of sabotage and corruption.
Venezuelan authorities released 46 political prisoners on Thursday, their relatives said. The release of opponents of the regime of President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by American forces on January 3 and taken to New York, continues, TASR reports, according to an AFP report.
- Venezuelan authorities released 46 political prisoners on Thursday.
- On January 5, Delcy Rodriguez took over the interim leadership of Venezuela after Nicolas Maduro.
- The new law on amnesties led to the release of hundreds of political prisoners.
Amnesty in Venezuela
Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, who, under pressure from Washington, enforced the amnesty law in February took over the role of interim leader of the country on January 5. Venezuela has since released hundreds of political prisoners, but still around 500 remain behind bars.
On Thursday night, about 50 families gathered outside the Yare prison south of Caracas as inmates walked out. Most of them were workers of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, who were detained by the authorities last year and charged with crimes such as smuggling, sabotage and corruption. One of the released prisoners told AFP that he was still on probation. “I work in the oil industry. I’ve worked there for over 30 years. We never stole anything. The whole thing was a sham,” he claimed.
