Venezuela Frees 60 Political Prisoners, But Over 900 Remain Jailed
Venezuela's government released at least 60 political prisoners detained after protests against President Maduro's re-election. Rights groups welcome the move but note over 900 remain incarcerated.
A Christmas gesture brought bittersweet relief to some families in Venezuela. Authorities have released at least 60 people arrested during protests against President Nicolas Maduro’s re-election, a human rights group confirmed. Campaigners, however, stress that hundreds more remain behind bars.
A Holiday Release with Conditions
The releases began early on Thursday over Christmas, according to the Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners. The group, comprised of activists and relatives of detainees, tracks those arrested following the contentious July 2024 presidential election.
We celebrate the release of more than 60 Venezuelans, who should never have been arbitrarily detained. Although they are not entirely free, we will continue working for their full freedom and that of all political prisoners.
The Broader Context: A Political Crackdown
President Maduro secured a third term in a vote that parts of the opposition rejected amid fraud allegations. The ensuing weeks of demonstrations led to about 2,400 arrests, with nearly 2,000 having been released since, according to rights groups.
Despite this latest development, at least 902 political prisoners are still held in Venezuela, according to Foro Penal, an NGO monitoring detentions. Relatives reported that many of those freed had been held at Tocoron prison, a maximum-security facility about 134km (83 miles) from the capital, Caracas. It's unclear under what conditions the detainees were released, as officials haven't commented publicly.
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