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3mo ago

Venezuela Interim Government Touts Mass Prisoner Releases as Rights Groups Verify Far Fewer

Many freed remain under court controls, with hundreds still behind bars.

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Security forces stand guard at the entrance of the El Helicoide - a facility and prison owned by the Venezuelan government and used for both regular and political prisoners of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) - in Caracas on Jan. 8, 2026.
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Overview

  • Acting President Delcy Rodríguez says an ongoing release process is part of a new political moment and has not concluded.
  • Officials cite 166 releases and later more than 400 when including earlier rounds, while Foro Penal verified 79 as of Wednesday night.
  • Human rights groups estimate roughly 800 to 900 political prisoners remain detained across Venezuela.
  • Former detainees face open prosecutions and periodic court check-ins, as families and NGOs press for transparent, verifiable lists.
  • Multiple Americans and some Spanish nationals were freed, and President Trump reported a positive call with Rodríguez after Maduro’s capture; advocates also reported the in-custody death of Edilson Torres.