Overview
- Trump told guest Alejandra González her uncle had been freed before Márquez entered the House chamber to embrace her to a standing ovation.
- Foro Penal reports more than 400 political prisoners have been released since Maduro was removed on January 3, though rights groups say hundreds remain jailed and many freed face travel bans and court check‑ins.
- Venezuela's legislature passed an amnesty bill that interim president Delcy Rodríguez signed last week, and National Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez said authorities have received over 1,500 amnesty requests.
- Márquez, a 2024 centrist presidential candidate, was detained in January 2025 on alleged coup links and held at Caracas’s El Helicoide before his release last month.
- Trump described Venezuela as a "new friend" and "partner," awarded a Medal of Honor to helicopter pilot Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover for the anti‑Maduro operation, and said the new leadership ordered El Helicoide closed.