Venezuela’s top lawmaker has stated that over 400 prisoners have been released, contradicting human rights organisations, which claim that only 60 to 70 detainees have been freed in recent days amid ongoing calls for the release of political prisoners.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, made the announcement during a parliamentary session on Tuesday. He said the release concerned “some prisoners, not political prisoners, but some politicians who had broken the law and violated the Constitution,” including individuals who had advocated for invasion. Rodríguez did not specify the exact timeline for the releases.
An unnamed US State Department official told AFP that US citizens were among those released. “We welcome the release of detained Americans in Venezuela. This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities,” the official said.
Both Rodríguez and US President Donald Trump have indicated that the release of large numbers of prisoners would serve as a gesture of peace following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by US forces on January 3.
The release of political detainees has long been a central demand of rights groups, international organisations, and opposition leaders. The Venezuelan government, however, continues to deny holding people for political reasons, insisting that most of the 2,000 people detained after protests over the contested 2024 presidential election have already been freed. Human rights organisations estimate that 800 to 1,200 political prisoners remain, and contend that only 60 to 70 prisoners have been released in recent days, highlighting a discrepancy with government claims.
Venezuela’s Ministry of Penitentiary Services reported that at least 116 prisoners were freed on Monday, though it remains unclear how this figure aligns with Rodríguez’s claim of more than 400.
The releases have attracted international attention, with the Trump administration emphasising diplomatic and economic pressure on Venezuelan authorities amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. In recent weeks, the US has moved to control Venezuelan oil resources, filing court warrants to seize dozens of tankers linked to the country’s crude exports, aiming to tighten pressure on Maduro while overseeing global energy flows.
The US has already seized multiple vessels in international waters that were carrying or had previously transported Venezuelan oil. Washington imposed a naval blockade on Venezuela in December, halting exports nearly entirely, though shipments have since resumed under US supervision.
The State Department also confirmed on Tuesday that several Americans detained in Venezuela have been freed, though it did not provide exact numbers. Reports indicate that at least four were released on Tuesday, with additional individuals freed a day earlier. US officials described the development as a positive step in cooperation with Venezuela’s interim authorities.
Analysts note that while these releases may ease some tensions, questions remain over how many political prisoners remain in custody, the transparency of the process, and the broader implications for Venezuela’s internal politics and its relationship with the United States.
