Venezuela Advances Amnesty Bill, Closes El Helicoide as Activist Javier Tarazona Freed

Overview

• Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez submitted a draft general-amnesty law to the National Assembly covering cases from 1999 to the present and directing swift legislative review.
• The proposal excludes homicide, drug trafficking, corruption and serious human-rights violations, and would nullify pending political charges and restrictions on those already released.
• Rodríguez ordered the notorious El Helicoide detention center closed for conversion into a social, sports, cultural and commercial complex, following UN-documented abuse allegations.
• High-profile rights defender Javier Tarazona was released on Sunday, as monitoring groups report roughly 300–400 verified releases and say about 700 political prisoners remain in custody.
• Officials cite external mediation and U.S. pressure in the opening, while NGOs urge published beneficiary lists, clear criteria and guarantees that the amnesty will not confer impunity.