The son of a jailed Venezuelan opposition leader has warned Donald Trump to 'not be fooled' by the country's government, amid accusations it has not kept its promise to release a significant number of political prisoners. Ramón Guanipa, the son of Juan Pablo Guanipa, said he believed the US president was unaware that only about 40 releases out of more than 800 political prisoners had reportedly been confirmed so far.
On Saturday, Trump thanked the Venezuelan authorities, saying they had 'started the process, in a BIG WAY'. The Venezuelan government announced on Thursday it would release detainees considered political prisoners by human rights groups as a 'goodwill gesture'.
The move came after the US seized Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro in a raid on the capital, Caracas, on 3 January, and took him to New York, where he has been charged with drug trafficking. Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela's National Assembly leader and brother of Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, announced that an 'important number of Venezuelan and foreign detainees' would be released 'immediately'.
On Monday, the government said more than 100 such prisoners had already been released - a number far greater than the figure so far confirmed by human rights campaigners.
Among those who are confirmed to have been released are several high-profile opposition figures, with Spain's foreign ministry confirming that five Spanish citizens had been freed, including human rights lawyer Rocío San Miguel.
Trump claimed credit for the releases, writing on social media on Saturday: 'I hope these prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done.' However, relatives of those still behind bars have expressed frustration at only a small number of prisoners being freed.
Ramón Guanipa, whose father is a close ally of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, told BBC Mundo: 'I want to tell President Trump that he must not be fooled and [should] keep pressure on these guys.' He added: 'I want to thank President Trump for the pressure that he's been enforcing. He's been our greatest ally in this situation.' However, he warned Trump that 'if he thinks this is going alright, it is not'.
Juan Pablo Guanipa went into hiding after being accused of terrorism and treason for challenging the result of the 2024 presidential election, which lacked 'basic transparency and integrity', according to the UN. After being tracked down by Venezuelan security forces, he was detained in May 2025.
The Venezuelan government has yet to comment on the pace of the releases. This situation is being seen as the first test of Trump's influence in Venezuela following the removal of Maduro, and the government's announcement came a day after Trump indicated that El Helicoide, the country's most notorious prison, would be shut down. El Helicoide became a symbol of political repression under Maduro, originally designed as a shopping center.
Outside El Helicoide in Caracas, family members of detainees have been keeping vigil, hoping for news about their loved ones. Many are expressing desperation for information about the whereabouts of political prisoners amid ongoing government assertions that no political prisoners exist, claiming that those detained are guilty of criminal activities.
On Saturday, Trump thanked the Venezuelan authorities, saying they had 'started the process, in a BIG WAY'. The Venezuelan government announced on Thursday it would release detainees considered political prisoners by human rights groups as a 'goodwill gesture'.
The move came after the US seized Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro in a raid on the capital, Caracas, on 3 January, and took him to New York, where he has been charged with drug trafficking. Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela's National Assembly leader and brother of Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, announced that an 'important number of Venezuelan and foreign detainees' would be released 'immediately'.
On Monday, the government said more than 100 such prisoners had already been released - a number far greater than the figure so far confirmed by human rights campaigners.
Among those who are confirmed to have been released are several high-profile opposition figures, with Spain's foreign ministry confirming that five Spanish citizens had been freed, including human rights lawyer Rocío San Miguel.
Trump claimed credit for the releases, writing on social media on Saturday: 'I hope these prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done.' However, relatives of those still behind bars have expressed frustration at only a small number of prisoners being freed.
Ramón Guanipa, whose father is a close ally of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, told BBC Mundo: 'I want to tell President Trump that he must not be fooled and [should] keep pressure on these guys.' He added: 'I want to thank President Trump for the pressure that he's been enforcing. He's been our greatest ally in this situation.' However, he warned Trump that 'if he thinks this is going alright, it is not'.
Juan Pablo Guanipa went into hiding after being accused of terrorism and treason for challenging the result of the 2024 presidential election, which lacked 'basic transparency and integrity', according to the UN. After being tracked down by Venezuelan security forces, he was detained in May 2025.
The Venezuelan government has yet to comment on the pace of the releases. This situation is being seen as the first test of Trump's influence in Venezuela following the removal of Maduro, and the government's announcement came a day after Trump indicated that El Helicoide, the country's most notorious prison, would be shut down. El Helicoide became a symbol of political repression under Maduro, originally designed as a shopping center.
Outside El Helicoide in Caracas, family members of detainees have been keeping vigil, hoping for news about their loved ones. Many are expressing desperation for information about the whereabouts of political prisoners amid ongoing government assertions that no political prisoners exist, claiming that those detained are guilty of criminal activities.
