Venezuelan activist proposes new amnesty law, compensation fund for political prisoners

Javier Tarazona, president of the Venezuelan NGO Fundaredes, has called for a new amnesty law to secure the release of all political prisoners in Venezuela. Tarazona argues that the existing amnesty law is exclusionary and fails to address the ongoing persecution of political opponents.

"There are thousands of victims of this entire Venezuelan political process who are not being assisted, let alone compensated," Tarazona stated from the Palace of Justice in Caracas. He spoke after his trial for charges including terrorism, incitement to hatred, and treason was postponed. Tarazona himself was imprisoned for over four years, gaining conditional release in February, the same month a government-controlled parliament passed an amnesty law that was denied to him in March.

Tarazona gained prominence for denouncing a conflict between the Venezuelan military and FARC dissidents in a border region, filling an information void left by official sources. He believes the February amnesty law did not resolve political persecution issues, as individuals remain detained for political reasons. He advocates for a new law that guarantees the full freedom of all political prisoners.

Furthermore, Tarazona proposed the creation of a national fund to help political prisoners and their families address problems stemming from their detentions. These issues include the significant costs and logistical challenges of long-distance travel for court appearances and prison visits. Former opposition deputy Williams Dávila, who also faced political detention and received amnesty in March, echoed the sentiment, calling it a legal and moral obligation for the state to compensate victims of persecution and imprisonment.

Dávila emphasized that this compensation should go beyond mere financial restitution, aiming for a comprehensive restoration of human dignity and the recovery of life projects disrupted by incarceration. According to Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, 1,046 Venezuelans have been released since January, but the NGO Foro Penal reports that 326 political prisoners remain in the country.

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There are thousands of victims of this entire Venezuelan political process who are not being assisted, let alone compensated.