Venezuela releases dozens of political prisoners as election calls grow
Venezuelan authorities have released a number of political prisoners, according to human rights organisations, days after interim President Delcy Rodríguez met US President Donald Trump in New York.
Among those freed in the early hours of Saturday was Wilder Vasquez, who was sentenced to five years in prison in 2018 over allegations that he was plotting to assassinate former President Nicolás Maduro.
The latest releases have renewed calls from opposition groups for free and fair elections, following Rodríguez’s meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. Trump’s administration captured Maduro earlier this year.
Rodríguez’s government had previously freed hundreds of detainees as part of a reconciliation initiative following Maduro’s removal. However, the process slowed significantly in April after the interim president announced that the programme was nearing its end.
The Venezuelan government has not commented on the latest releases or indicated whether they were connected to Rodríguez’s discussions with Trump.
Gonzalo Himiob, vice-president of human rights organisation Foro Penal, said a significant number of political prisoners were released from several detention facilities across the country on Saturday morning.
Foro Penal also confirmed the release of Miguel Castillo Cedeño, who it said had been arbitrarily detained since June 2019.
Another person freed was Frank Cabañas, who rights groups say had spent nine years in prison after being implicated in the death of a police officer. According to Foro Penal, he was the only suspect who remained in detention, despite reports from his family last year that he was experiencing health problems.
Opposition figures and human rights organisations have long accused Maduro’s government of using the detention of political opponents to suppress dissent and silence critics.
Rodríguez has sought to present her interim administration as more tolerant of political opposition while improving relations with Washington. The prisoner release programme was one of the key concessions her government made to the United States.
However, her decision to bring the initiative to an end drew criticism from opposition groups and rights organisations. Foro Penal said the programme was halted before even half of Venezuela’s political prisoners had been released.
The Rodríguez administration continues to deny that political dissidents are being imprisoned, describing the releases as acts of goodwill and reconciliation.
Meanwhile, Rodríguez’s meeting with Trump has sparked fresh debate over Venezuela’s political future. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a close ally of Maduro, described the meeting as a major achievement for peaceful diplomacy.
Opposition figures, however, criticised the engagement, arguing that it undermined calls for the swift organisation of elections, which Washington had previously supported.
Pedro Mario Burelli, a former executive of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company and an opposition commentator, criticised the two leaders, arguing that little had changed in the country under US oversight.
Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, in which Maduro was declared the winner, was widely disputed. Opposition figures presented their own vote tallies, claiming their candidate had won by 70% after María Corina Machado was barred from contesting the election.
Despite the disputed result, the Trump administration backed Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president, as his successor after Maduro was captured and put on trial on drug-related charges in January.
Analysts interpreted the decision as Washington prioritising short-term stability in Venezuela while awaiting fresh elections.
In her address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Rodríguez reiterated that elections would be held in Venezuela but did not provide a timeline.
About The Author
