A new group of political prisoners was released in Venezuela between Friday and Saturday, after the conclusion of the second round of dialogue between the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez and the opposition, with mediation by the United States.
Human rights organizations reported that about 40 people detained for political reasons left various prisons across the country. Among them were about eight women accused of “narcoterrorism” in 2021.
The NGO Justiça, Encontro e Perdão reported on Saturday, the 26th, that it directly confirmed 39 releases.
The second round of negotiations between the interim government and the opposition ended on Friday. The dialogue advanced with Washington’s approval after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation in January.
“Let all those who are behind bars today for thinking differently be released,” said on Saturday Dinorah Figuera, who leads the negotiations for the opposition.
“We will continue beside political prisoners, their families, the NGOs that defend them and every citizen who dreams of seeing their loved ones reunite in the Venezuela we deserve,” Figuera said in a post on X.
According to the latest update from the NGO Foro Penal, released on September 18, there were still 344 political prisoners in Venezuela. The organization, which works to defend people detained for political reasons, had not yet updated the number on Saturday.
Families and human rights organizations are calling for the situation of political prisoners to be included in the discussions between the government and the opposition. The opposition pledged to bring the issue to the negotiating table.
Oscar Murillo, coordinator of the NGO Provea, asked on X for the release of “all people unjustly detained” and for their rights to be guaranteed.
Among the releases confirmed are six people accused in the case known as “Operation Gideon.” At the time, the Venezuelan government accused civilians and Venezuelan and American military personnel of taking part in an attempt to overthrow Maduro.
One of those detained in the case is Josnars Baduel, son of General Raúl Isaías Baduel, who served as Defense Minister during the government of former President Hugo Chávez.
Foro Penal also reported the release of Frank Cabañas, linked to the Óscar Pérez case, who was killed during a military operation in 2018. Pérez was a police inspector and pilot and had rebelled against Maduro’s government.
Human rights organizations stated that the operation amounted to an extrajudicial execution, arguing that Pérez’s group had attempted to surrender. The case was brought before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
Rodríguez, who governs under strong pressure from the United States, promulgated an amnesty law in February, following Maduro’s capture. The releases, however, have occurred gradually.
Families of the prisoners regularly protest. A group still spends nights near the United States Embassy in Venezuela and around the El Rodeo I prison, regarded by NGOs as a center of torture.
