DistantNews
Support us
🇻🇪 Venezuela /Crime & Justice

Venezuela Reports Release of 395 Political Prisoners Amid Discrepancies with NGO Figures

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced the release of 395 political prisoners, with more expected soon, bringing the total to over 500.
  • These releases are part of parallel mechanisms to an amnesty law, coordinated by the Judicial Revolution Commission and the Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence.
  • Human rights organizations report significantly lower numbers, verifying only 43 releases and urging strict adherence to a previously promised target of 300.

The Venezuelan government, through acting President Delcy Rodríguez, has reported a significant number of political prisoner releases, stating that 395 individuals have been freed, with expectations of exceeding 500 in the coming hours. This announcement, made via state television VTV, positions the government as fulfilling its commitments towards reconciliation and justice.

the total volume of releases of political prisoners will exceed 500 in the coming hours.

· Delcy RodríguezAnnouncing the government's figures on political prisoner releases.

Rodríguez clarified that these releases are distinct from the amnesty law enacted in February, proceeding through separate state-coordinated mechanisms. She highlighted the involvement of the Judicial Revolution Commission and the Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence, suggesting a comprehensive approach to addressing past grievances. The government also pointed to prior consultations with NGOs and university sectors as a basis for these actions, framing them as collaborative efforts.

the dossiers of this group of citizens were not framed within the Amnesty Law promulgated last February.

· Delcy RodríguezExplaining the legal basis for the current releases.

However, this official narrative sharply contrasts with the figures provided by independent human rights organizations. These groups, including Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón, claim to have verified only a fraction of the announced releases, with one report citing just 43 individuals freed. They accuse the government of inflating numbers and using releases for propaganda, urging strict adherence to previously stated targets, such as the 300 releases promised by National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.

the benefit was channeled through a 'different process', coordinated jointly by the Commission of Judicial Revolution and the Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence.

· Delcy RodríguezDetailing the process for releasing prisoners outside the amnesty law.

From our perspective in Venezuela, the discrepancy between government figures and those reported by NGOs is a recurring theme. While the government seeks to project an image of progress and openness, independent monitors often question the transparency and accuracy of these announcements. The differing counts raise concerns about the true scope of political prisoner releases and the government's commitment to genuine political dialogue and human rights. The international community closely watches these developments, and the conflicting reports complicate efforts to assess the situation accurately.

the first wave of 395 releases.

· Delcy RodríguezReferring to the number of prisoners released in the current phase.
About this summary

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog