Hundreds of political prisoners in Venezuela could be released under new amnesty bill

Hundreds of governmental prisoners successful Venezuela, including absorption leaders, journalists and quality rights activists, could soon beryllium freed nether an amnesty measure that the country's acting president announced connected Friday. 

The determination represents the latest concession Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez has made since the Jan. 3 seizure of the country's erstwhile person Nicolás Maduro by the U.S.

Rodriguez told a radical of justices, magistrates, ministers, subject brass and different authorities leaders that the National Assembly, which is controlled by the ruling party, would promptly instrumentality up the bill, The Associated Press reported.

"May this instrumentality service to heal the wounds near by the governmental confrontation fueled by unit and extremism," she said successful the pre-taped televised event, according to the AP. "May it service to redirect justness successful our country, and whitethorn it service to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans."

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Relatives of radical they see to beryllium detained for governmental reasons protestation holding chains successful beforehand of constabulary guarding the Zona 7 Bolivarian National Police detention halfway successful Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, connected the aforesaid time acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced an amnesty bill. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

Rodriguez said the amnesty instrumentality would screen the "entire play of governmental unit from 1999 to the present," and that those incarcerated for murder, cause trafficking, corruption oregon quality rights violations would not suffice for relief, the AP reported.

In summation to the amnesty law, Rodriguez announced the shutdown of Venezuela's notorious El Helicoide situation successful Caracas. Torture and different quality rights abuses person been repeatedly documented astatine El Helicoide. The installation is acceptable to beryllium transformed into sports, societal and taste center, according to reports.

Alfredo Romero, the caput of Foro Penal, Venezuela’s starring captive rights organization, welcomed the authorities portion expressing immoderate skepticism.

"A General Amnesty is ever invited arsenic agelong arsenic its elements and conditions see each of civilian society, without discrimination, that it does not go a broad of impunity, and that it contributes to the dismantling of the repressive apparatus of governmental persecution," Romero said successful a station connected X.

Relatives of detainees stitchery adjacent El Helicoide, office of Venezuela's quality work and a detention center, successful Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, connected the aforesaid time acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced an amnesty measure that could pb to the merchandise of hundreds of prisoners, including absorption leaders, journalists and quality rights activists detained for governmental reasons.  (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

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Relatives of immoderate prisoners livestreamed Rodríguez’s code connected a telephone arsenic they gathered extracurricular Helicoide, according to the AP.

Opposition person and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado said successful a connection that the moves were not made "voluntarily, but alternatively successful effect to unit from the US government," the AP reported. She besides reportedly noted that radical detained for their governmental activities person been held for anyplace betwixt a period and 23 years.

Foro Penal estimates determination are 711 governmental prisoners held successful Venezuela, 183 of whom person been sentenced, the AP reported. The outlet identified salient members of the absorption who were detained aft the 2024 predetermination and stay successful situation arsenic erstwhile lawmaker Freddy Superlano, Machado’s lawyer Perkins Rocha, and Juan Pablo Guanipa, a erstwhile politician and 1 of Machado’s closest allies.

Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez speaks nether a framed representation of erstwhile President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a ceremonial marking the opening of the caller judicial twelvemonth astatine the Supreme Tribunal of Justice successful Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

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On Friday evening, Venezuela released each known American citizens being held successful the country.

"We are pleased to corroborate the merchandise by the interim authorities of each known U.S. citizens held successful Venezuela," the U.S. embassy wrote connected X. "Should you person accusation regarding immoderate different U.S. citizens inactive detained, delight interaction American Citizen Services."

The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.