Venezuelan government says it will free political prisoners as families wait

The Venezuelan government announced last week that it would begin freeing "an important number" of political prisoners, but hundreds of families across the country remain uncertain about who will be released or when. Relatives have kept vigils outside detention centers such as Rodeo I and El Helicoide.

Nélida Sánchez, an electoral expert detained after being lured to a hospital, has been held at El Helicoide for more than 16 months; her mother said she has not slept waiting for a call. Eliana Pacheco said she has been sleeping in her car outside a Miranda state prison for her husband, Félix Perdomo, whom she said has renal failure and a kidney tumor and was arrested in January 2024 and accused of inciting hatred and terrorism.

The announcement raised immediate hopes: Jorge Rodríguez, the leader of the National Assembly, described a "mass release of prisoners," though he did not identify who would be freed or when. A prison system statement said 166 people had been freed since the announcement, while Foro Penal, a leading Venezuelan human rights group, had confirmed only 56 releases as of Tuesday afternoon; most releases so far have come only a few at a time.

Whether a broader amnesty will follow remains unclear. Human rights groups estimate 800 to 900 people could be considered political prisoners. The country’s political chain of command is unsettled — the article says that after his capture by U.S. forces Mr.

Key Topics

Politics, Political Prisoners, Venezuelan Government, El Helicoide, Rodeo I, Foro Penal