Venezuela frees 131 political prisoners amid US-backed talks

Venezuela's interim government announced on Friday the release of 131 people detained for political reasons, a move framed as part of the US-backed dialogue between the government and opposition. The releases come two days after the first round of negotiations concluded, and are part of the government's 'Programa para la Paz y la Convivencia Democrática' Source: AP News. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the releases 'a crucial step for the reconciliation of the nation' and said that 1,046 Venezuelans have been freed since January 3 Source: Excelsior.

Discrepancies in numbers

While the government announced 131 releases, human rights organizations have verified far fewer. Foro Penal confirmed 78 releases as of Sunday morning, while other counts range from 40 to 75 Source: El Nacional, La Voz, Diario Libre. The opposition coalition PUD counted 75 releases and demanded 'massive, permanent, expeditious, public and transparent' processes Source: Diario Libre. The government has not published a list of names, prompting criticism from groups like CLIPP, which said 'excarcelar no siempre significa liberar' Source: Infobae.

Notable cases

Among those freed is Emirlendris Benítez, a 45-year-old merchant sentenced to 30 years for alleged involvement in a 2018 drone attack on Nicolás Maduro. She was tortured while pregnant, lost her baby, and left prison in a wheelchair Source: El País. Also released was José Ignacio Moreno, a lawyer for Gold Reserve detained since 2023 Source: La República.

Reactions

Opposition leader María Corina Machado celebrated the releases but demanded the freedom of all detainees, saying 'Todos, absolutamente todos, civiles y militares, deben ser liberados ya' Source: Infobae. Edmundo González Urrutia noted that 'su excarcelación no borra los años de encierro' Source: Excelsior. The government denies the existence of political prisoners, maintaining that those detained committed crimes Source: AP News.