Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Rodríguez Announces New Prisoner Releases, Invites Opposition Talks as Venezuela Accelerates Oil Opening

The interim government is testing whether reconciliation gestures can unlock investment and ease relations with Washington.

Overview

  • Human-rights group Foro Penal verified at least 104 new releases on Sunday, lifting the post-operation total to at least 240, though hundreds of political detainees are still reported to be in custody.
  • Delcy Rodríguez called for a “Venezuelan political dialogue” without external orders and asked National Assembly chief Jorge Rodríguez to convene talks across rival camps.
  • Parliament approved in first reading a bill to open the oil sector to private firms, while PDVSA’s chief set a target to lift output by at least 18 percent this year with stronger legal guarantees for investors.
  • U.S. outreach is advancing with a new chargé d’affaires named for Caracas and an expected invitation for Rodríguez, following a CIA director meeting in Miraflores and government claims of $300 million received from oil sales handled by the U.S.
  • Nicolás Maduro remains jailed in New York on drug-terrorism charges as reports describe months-long contacts between senior Venezuelan officials and U.S. interlocutors, and President Donald Trump signals willingness to work with Rodríguez and possibly include María Corina Machado.