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3w ago

Venezuela Proposes Sweeping Amnesty, Moves to Close El Helicoide as Releases Accelerate

Rights groups press for public lists to verify who qualifies.

Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez speaks during a ceremony marking the opening of the new judicial year at the Supreme Tribunal of Justice in Caracas, on Friday.
Image
Relatives of detainees react outside the Helicoide detention centre after Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez announced a proposed "amnesty law" for hundreds of prisoners, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Friday.
El Helicoide detention centre as Venezuela's government begins releasing some detainees, with the freeing of political prisoners marking a move long demanded by human rights groups, international bodies and opposition leaders, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 12, 2026. REUTERS/Gaby Oraa

Overview

  • Acting President Delcy Rodríguez proposed a general amnesty for political cases dating to 1999, excluding homicide, drug trafficking, corruption and serious human-rights abuses, and asked the National Assembly to take up the bill.
  • She also announced the shutdown of Caracas’s El Helicoide detention center for conversion to a social and sports facility, following years of abuse allegations documented by the United Nations and denied by authorities.
  • Releases continued on Feb. 1 with human rights activist Javier Tarazona freed from El Helicoide, as rights groups reported at least nine releases that day.
  • Foro Penal has verified just over 300 releases since Jan. 8 and estimates more than 700 people remain detained for political reasons, while officials claim a higher total without publishing a definitive list.
  • The United States confirmed all known American detainees were freed and sent charge d’affaires Laura Dogu to begin re-establishing a diplomatic presence in Caracas.