Venezuelan government begins releasing political prisoners

The Venezuelan government has begun releasing detainees considered political prisoners by human rights groups, in a move that officials described as a goodwill gesture.

Spain’s foreign ministry said five of its citizens were released, including one dual citizen. Rights activist Rocio San Miguel is thought to be among them.

This move came after the USA Venezuela received President Nicolas Maduro A lightning raid was launched on Saturday in the capital Caracas to face drug trafficking charges in New York.

The release of political prisoners in Venezuela has long been a demand that the United States has been pushing for, especially at times of increased pressure due to elections or protests.

Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly and brother of interim president Delcy Rodriguez, announced on state television that a “significant number” of prisoners would be released immediately, without specifying the number or identity of the released prisoners.

Hundreds of political prisoners are detained in Venezuelan prisons and only a few are thought to have been released so far.

Jorge Rodríguez said the interim government released these people in the name of “national unity and peaceful coexistence.”

The release of Ms. San Miguel, an expert in security, defense and the Venezuelan military, became the first prisoner to be freed. He was arrested at Maiquetia airport near Caracas in February 2024.

Ms. San Miguel, who was a vocal critic of Maduro at the time was involved in a plot to kill the then president He faced charges of treason, conspiracy and terrorism.

Venezuelan human rights organizations, some of whose members or founders are in prison, greeted the news with caution.

The interim administration of Delcy Rodriguez has appeared willing to cooperate with the United States since taking on its leader, even though he is a key lieutenant of Maduro. He made extensive statements about the future of the South American nation.

Approximately 50 to 80 inmates are believed to be held at the infamous El Helicoide prison, which US President Donald Trump announced would be closed following Maduro’s capture.

The prison gained international notoriety for detaining alleged political dissidents, with human rights groups reporting torture, including beatings and electrocution.

Venezuelan human rights group Provea warned that the expected closure of El Helicoide should not distract attention from other detention centers operating across the country.

Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has many close allies in prison, has repeatedly requested release.

In a sit-down interview on the Fox News show Hannity, Trump said Machado was expected to arrive in the United States “sometime next week.”

Earlier in the week, Machado told host Sean Hannity that he wanted to give the US president the Nobel Peace Prize. When asked if Trump would accept the offer, Hannity said “it would be a great honor.”

Opposition and human rights groups in Venezuela say the government has used detentions for years to silence dissent and silence critics.

The opposition has claimed that legal action against activists, journalists and political rivals has increased since the widely contested 2024 elections.

Attorney General Tarek Saab and others in the government have repeatedly denied that there are political prisoners in Venezuela, arguing that those detained were arrested for real crimes.

Additional reporting by Norberto Paredes.