Venezuela releases 1,046 political prisoners since January, official says

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced on Monday that 1,046 political prisoners have been released since January. She stated that 12,000 more individuals have received procedural benefits under the "Democratic Coexistence and Peace Program." Rodríguez made the announcement as Venezuela marked two months since devastating earthquakes in June.

The government is collaborating with the International Committee of the Red Cross to assess prison conditions. This initiative follows pressure from NGOs and families of political prisoners demanding access for the organization to Venezuelan jails. Rodríguez promised continued efforts to improve the penitentiary system, aiming to inform the international community about the progress made.

Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, the government initiated a process of releasing prisoners throughout the year. In February, the pro-government parliament approved an amnesty law that benefited over 8,000 people, many of whom were already under restricted liberty.

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As a result of the Democratic Coexistence and Peace Program, to date, 1,046 Venezuelans have been released, 12,000 people have received procedural benefits, and we will continue to advance responsibly.

Recent releases occurred in mid-August, shortly after the first dialogue cycle between the government and the opposition. The government reported 131 releases on August 15, though the human rights group Foro Penal verified 81. The main opposition coalition, the Unitary Platform, counts 105 releases. By June, Foro Penal had verified 894 political prisoner releases since January.

Rodríguez also addressed citizen security, pledging to eliminate police checkpoints in cities, which are often accused of extortion. She committed to reinforcing patrol mechanisms with a focus on human rights respect.

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the international community knows firsthand the improvements and advances that have been made in this regard.