Overview
- Lawmakers suspended the parliamentary session to resolve sticking points, including whether people who fled to avoid detention can receive amnesty, with debate expected to resume next week.
- Recent drafts are substantially tighter than earlier versions, dropping detailed lists of political offenses and excluding asset returns, the lifting of public office bans, and removal of Interpol notices.
- Attorney General Tarek William Saab said current inmates are not political detainees, called for the amnesty to include Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, and framed the law as a step toward a “pacified” country.
- Rights group Foro Penal has confirmed at least 431 releases since Jan. 8, while officials cite nearly 900 over a longer period, highlighting contested counts and a piecemeal rollout.
- Thousands marched in Caracas on Youth Day demanding the release of all remaining political prisoners as pro-government supporters held counter-rallies, and the brief release then house arrest of Juan Pablo Guanipa fueled concerns about opaque implementation.