Overview
- National Assembly chief Jorge Rodríguez announced a unilateral plan to free a “significant number” of political prisoners, thanked mediators José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Qatar, and framed the move as a gesture for peace.
- Verified releases remain limited, with reports counting roughly 8 to 11 freed so far, including five Spaniards confirmed by Madrid and opposition figures Enrique Márquez and Biagio Pilieri.
- Italian cases are mixed: Pilieri is confirmed free, Luigi Gasperin has been widely reported released though Italy notes only a non‑executed release order, and aid worker Alberto Trentini remains in custody.
- Caracas has not published a full list of names, leaving families and NGOs waiting outside El Helicoide and El Rodeo I and decrying a lack of transparency in the process.
- Human rights groups say hundreds remain jailed for political reasons—over 800 by some counts, including around 80–90 foreigners—as shifting dynamics after the U.S. operation against Nicolás Maduro drive fresh diplomacy by Italy, Spain and the United States.