Venezuelans demand political prisoners’ release, Maduro ‘doing well’
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez’s government on Thursday began releasing prisoners imprisoned under his rule in a gesture of openness after Maduro vowed to cooperate with Washington.
The government said a “large” number would be released as a gesture of appeasement and that President Donald Trump’s administration appreciated it; But human rights groups and the opposition say only about 20 people, including prominent opposition figures, have since been released.
Rodriguez, vice president under Maduro, said Venezuela would follow the “diplomatic route” with Washington, while Trump claimed the US was “responsible” for the South American country.
“Venezuela has started the process of releasing its political prisoners in a MAJOR way. Thank you!” Trump said in a post on the Truth Social platform late Saturday.
“I hope these prisoners remember how lucky they are that the United States came and did what needed to be done.”
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in a dramatic raid that began with overnight airstrikes on Caracas on January 3. They were taken to New York by US forces to stand trial on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Concern about prisoners
A police officer accused of “treason” against Venezuela has died in state custody, opposition and rights groups said on Saturday.
Primero Justicia (Justice First), part of the Venezuelan opposition alliance, said in a statement to X: “We hold the Delcy Rodriguez regime directly responsible for this death.” he said.
Families held candlelight vigils, carrying banners bearing the names of their detained relatives, in front of El Rodeo prison in the east of Caracas and El Helicoide, a notorious prison run by intelligence services.
“I’m tired and angry,” Nebraska Rivas, 57, told AFP as she awaited her son’s release from El Rodeo.
“But I believe they will hand him over to us soon,” he said after sleeping on the pavement outside the prison for two nights.
‘Trust blindly’
His son, Nicolas Maduro Guerra, said in a video released by his party on Saturday that Maduro claimed he was “doing well” in prison in New York.
About 1,000 protesters waving flags and banners bearing the face of the moustachioed former leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, marched in western Caracas on Saturday, and several hundred more in the eastern Petare region.
“I will march as long as necessary until Nicolas and Cilia return,” said 69-year-old demonstrator Soledad Rodriguez.
The demonstrations were much smaller than those Maduro’s camp has organized in the past, and senior figures from his government were conspicuously absent.
The caretaker president has moved to placate the strong pro-Maduro base by insisting that Venezuela is not “beholden” to Washington.
Pressure on Cuba
Trump vowed to secure U.S. access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves following Maduro’s capture, and Delcy Rodriguez also pledged cooperation.
Trump pressed top oil executives at a White House meeting on Friday to invest in Venezuela’s reserves, but was met with a cautious reception.
Experts say Venezuela’s oil infrastructure is creaking after years of mismanagement and sanctions.
Washington also confirmed that US envoys visited their embassy in Caracas on Friday to discuss reopening.
Trump put pressure on Caracas’ leftist ally Cuba on Sunday; Cuba has managed to survive under the US embargo in recent years thanks to cheap oil imports from Venezuela.
He urged Cuba to “make a deal” or face uncertain consequences and warned that Venezuelan oil and money would now stop flowing to Havana.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel responded to X, saying the Caribbean island was “ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of its blood.”
“Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation,” he said. “No one can tell us what to do.”
