Venezuela claims it is releasing a significant number of detainees to 'consolidate peace'.
Five days after the US seized Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has announced it is releasing an "important number" of detainees in what the congressional president characterized as a gesture to "consolidate peace".
It remains unclear how many individuals are being freed. Human rights organizations operating in the country estimate that Venezuela holds between 800 and 1,000 political prisoners, most of whom were detained for participating in protests following the 2024 election, which is widely believed to have been stolen by Maduro.
The head of Venezuela's national assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, the brother of the acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, stated that the move was a "unilateral gesture to reaffirm our unbreakable decision to consolidate peace in the republic and peaceful coexistence among all".
María Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, praised the move, saying it demonstrated that "injustice" would not prevail in the country. She expressed, "This is a significant day because it shows what we have always known: that injustice will not last forever and that truth, though wounded, will eventually find its way."
Spain's foreign ministry confirmed the release of five Spanish nationals, including one with dual nationality, who were reportedly "preparing to travel to Spain with assistance from our embassy in Caracas".
The ministry stated, "Spain, maintaining fraternal relations with the Venezuelan people, views this decision as a positive step in the new phase Venezuela is entering."
Spain's foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, informed the public broadcaster RNE that the dual national was Rocío San Miguel, a Spanish-Venezuelan lawyer, activist, and human rights defender who was detained in February 2024 and accused by the regime of treason, conspiracy, and terrorism in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Maduro.
Prior to Venezuela's announcement, estimates suggested there were over 40 foreign nationals detained in the country, including approximately 20 Spaniards and five US citizens, among them James Luckey-Lange, 28, who disappeared in December and was being held at the military counterintelligence headquarters in Caracas.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump stated that Venezuela had a "torture chamber in the middle of Caracas that they're closing up", without providing further details. In recent days, speculation has centered on the Helicoide de la Roca Tarpeya, an iconic structure inaugurated in 1956 as an avant-garde shopping center and later turned into a prison and torture site under Chavismo.
Martha Tineo, the general coordinator of the NGO Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón (Justice, Encounter, and Forgiveness, or JEP), which monitors political detentions in Venezuela, confirmed that some sections of El Helicoide are being vacated.
She added, "However, the Helicoide complex is vast. It not only houses the prison where political detainees are held but also administrative offices of the Bolivarian National Police. Therefore, we might assume that over the coming days, hopefully within a week, or however long it takes, we may indeed see the closure of that immense torture center, but for now, that is not happening."
JEP estimated that there were 1,017 political prisoners before Rodríguez's announcement. By 10:30 p.m. UK time on Thursday, the organization had confirmed only "around eight or perhaps 10 political prisoners", but stated it would not disclose names to avoid raising anxiety among families who have been waiting for months, and in some cases years, for news of their loved ones.
Activists are treating the announcement of the detainees' release with caution. In the days leading up to the US operation, the regime claimed it would release 187 people, 99 on Christmas Day and 88 on New Year's Day, but organizations could only independently verify the release of a portion of that total.
Despite confirming only a few releases, Tineo remains hopeful. She stated, "The information we have is that it is very likely that many releases will take place, or at least that is what has been said [by the regime]." She added that the release process, which involves legal procedures, can take time, potentially days when dealing with large numbers of people.
Tineo emphasized, "That is why we have been calling for composure and calm, to keep us united in both hope and vigilance."
Alfredo Romero, the head of Foro Penal, an NGO estimating there are still 806 political prisoners in Venezuela, posted that by early evening he had only been able to confirm five releases. He expressed, "We expect the freedom of all political prisoners, not partial and conditional gestures."
At a press conference announcing the decision, Jorge Rodríguez, who many believe is now effectively running the country alongside his acting-president sister, stated that "within a few minutes" the public would learn "the nature of the people who are receiving the benefit of release", something that had not happened hours later. He added, "In order to contribute and collaborate in the effort that all of us must make for national unity and peaceful coexistence, the Bolivarian government, together with the institutions of the state, has decided to free an important number of Venezuelan and foreign individuals, and these release processes are taking place from this very moment."
He concluded, "Consider this gesture by the Bolivarian government, with its broad intention of seeking peace, as the contribution that all of us must make so that our republic can continue its life in peace and in pursuit of prosperity."
