Venezuela’s top lawmaker says more than 400 prisoners have been released
Venezuela’s top lawmaker says more than 400 people have been released from prison; This contradicts claims by rights groups that only between 60 and 70 prisoners have been released in recent days amid calls for the release of those imprisoned for political reasons.
National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez made the announcement during the parliamentary session on Tuesday.
“The decision was made to release some prisoners, not political prisoners, but some politicians who broke the law and violated the Constitution and called for occupation,” Rodriguez said in his speech to parliament.
He said more than 400 prisoners had been released but did not give a specific timeline.
Both Rodriguez and US President Donald Trump said many prisoners would be released as a gesture of peace. Kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces on January 3.
The release of political prisoners in Venezuela has been a long-standing call from rights groups, international organizations and opposition figures.
The Venezuelan government has always denied detaining people for political reasons and said it had already released most of the 2,000 people detained following the protests. 2024 presidential election contested.
Human rights groups estimate there are 800 to 1,200 political prisoners in Venezuela and have condemned the slow pace of releases and the lack of information about the releases, saying the number of prisoners released since last week has ranged from 60 to 70.
Bloomberg News reported that at least one US citizen was released from prison on Tuesday.
At least this is what the Venezuelan Ministry of Prison Services said: 116 prisoners were released On Monday.
USA to control Venezuela’s oil resources
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado has been a leading voice demanding the release of the prisoners, some of whom are close allies.
He is expected to meet with Trump in Washington DC on Thursday. According to Bloomberg News, on the same day, Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez plans to send an envoy to the US capital to meet with senior officials.
Meanwhile, the United States continues to seize control of oil shipments to and from Venezuela following Maduro’s kidnapping.
The US government has issued court orders to seize dozens more tanker ships linked to the Venezuelan oil trade, Reuters reported.
The US military and coast guard are already Five ships were seized in international waters that have either carried Venezuelan oil in recent weeks or have done so in the past.
Trump imposed a naval blockade of Venezuela in December to prevent US-sanctioned tankers from transporting Venezuelan oil; it was a move that brought the country’s oil exports to a halt.
Shipments have now resumed under US control, which the Trump administration has said plans to control Venezuela’s oil resources indefinitely.
