Venezuela Releases Over 80 Political Prisoners Amid Growing Pressure

Mon Feb 02 2026 19:47:12 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A Venezuelan human rights organization, Foro Penal, reports that at least 80 political prisoners have been released as part of a response to international pressure, including from the United States. The organization continues to evaluate identities of those freed and anticipates further releases.

In a significant move for civil liberties in Venezuela, at least 80 political prisoners have been set free, according to Foro Penal, a leading human rights group. The releases come amid heightened international pressure after a raid on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in New York. Despite the optimism, many of those released still face legal uncertainty as charges remain in place. The government denies holding political dissidents, maintaining that detainees are criminals.

A leading Venezuelan human rights group says at least 80 political prisoners have been released under pressure from the US.

Alfredo Romero, head of Foro Penal, said his group was verifying the identities of those freed from prisons across the country on Saturday - and more releases were likely to take place.

It is the latest batch of detainees released since the US seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a raid, and took him to New York to stand trial on drug-trafficking charges earlier this month.

On Friday, Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez claimed that more than 600 prisoners had been freed - although Foro Penal indicates this figure has been inflated.

Romero announced the releases on social media. He also posted an image of Foro Penal colleague Kennedy Tejeda, who he said had been held in Tocorón prison, west of the capital Caracas since August 2024.

In a post on X, Foro Penal lawyer Gonzalo Himiob remarked that the number of releases could rise above 80 as we proceed with verification.

Foro Penal previously stated that most individuals released in recent weeks have not had the charges against them dropped. This situation has resulted in legal limbo for many, preventing them from speaking in public.

Up to this weekend, the group had confirmed just 156 political prisoners released since 8 January. Those freed include some domestic opposition figures and at least five Spanish nationals.

Separately, Rodriguez mentioned she was due for a call on Monday with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, to discuss verifying the lists of those released to date.

Human rights organizations and activists have long accused the government of using detentions as a means to stifle dissent. The Venezuelan government, however, denies these accusations, asserting that those detained were arrested for criminal activity.

Many individuals were detained following the 2024 presidential election, in which Maduro claimed victory despite widespread contention from opponents and international observers.