Venezuela releases some journalists and activists from prison as a gesture to ‘seek peace’

GUATIRE, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela released citizens and foreigners from its prisons on Thursday in what a top government official described as a gesture to “seek peace” less than a week after former President Nicolás Maduro was captured by US forces to face federal drug-trafficking charges in New York.

Jorge Rodríguez, brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez and head of the National Assembly, said a “significant number” of people would be freed, but he was not specific about how many or provide names.

Venezuelan authorities have freed political prisoners before, but the releases on Thursday were the first since Maduro was deposed. Human rights groups were encouraged by the releases, though it wasn’t clear yet whether this might represent the early stages of a government in transition or was more of a symbolic effort to please the Trump administration, which has allowed Maduro’s loyalists to stay in control even as it exerts political pressure through crippling sanctions.

Alfredo Romero, president of Foro Penal, an advocacy group for prisoners based in Caracas, praised Thursday’s release as “good news” that lifted Venezuelans’ hopes that all political detainees in the country may walk free.

But he stressed that he wanted this to become “the beginning of the dismantling of the repressive system” of Maduro’s government and not remain “a mere gesture, a charade of releasing some prisoners and incarcerating others.”

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Despite a widespread crackdown during the tumultuous 2024 election – in which the government said it detained 2,000 people – Venezuela’s government denies that there are “political prisoners” and accuses those detained of plotting to destabilize Maduro’s government.

Romero’s organization said that as of December 29, 2025, there were 863 people detained in Venezuela “for political reasons.”