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The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, announced Tuesday the release of 300 inmates in the country during this week, as part of a new release process driven by the government.
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During a parliamentary session in Caracas, Rodriguez indicated that among the beneficiaries would be people of over 70 years oldpeople suffering from health problems, pregnant or breastfeeding women and inmates incarcerated for years.
The Chavista leader assured that the government asked for nothing in return and called for “appreciation of the gesture”. HAS” We don’t ask anything from anyone, we don’t ask for any “quid pro quo†in exchange », to déclaré RodrÃguez. THE” We only want this gesture to be appreciated and that, if at any given moment you learn that an opponent has committed an offense against public funds, you denounce it and we will support you in this process. »
Although Chavismo has denied for years the existence of political prisoners in Venezuela, human rights organizations claim that some of the detainees involved in this process were arrested for political reasons.
The NGO Foro Penal believes that more than 400 people remain incarcerated for political reasons in this South American country.
Venezuela’s longest-serving political prisoners behind bars
Among those already released are three former officials of the former Caracas Metropolitan Police, detained since 2003 for acts linked to the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez, according to the NGO Foro Penal (source in Spanish). These are political prisoners who passed longest time in prison in Venezuela.
Also released were Samantha Hernandez Castillo, a 16-year-old girl detained since Novemberand Merys Torres de Sequea, 71 years old, mother of soldier Antonio Sequea, accused of participating in the attempted maritime raid against Nicolás Maduro in 2020.
Criticism and outrage after the death of an inmate and his mother
The announcement comes amid growing pressure on Venezuelan authorities following the revelation of the death in custody of Victor Hugo Queroconsidered a political prisoner by human rights organizations.
The authorities recently acknowledged that Quero is died in July 2025 while he was still detained, while his family spent months of looking for him without receiving official information on his fate.
According to the official version, Quero died of “acute respiratory failure” caused by pulmonary thromboembolism, after being hospitalized for gastrointestinal problems. The government assures that it did not inform his relatives sooner because the inmate had not provided contact details.
Quero’s mother, Carmen Navas, died on Sunday, ten days after authorities publicly confirmed her son’s death. For more than a year, she traveled to prisons, courts and public institutions to demand proof of life and denounce his disappearance.
His funeral in Caracas turned into symbolic protest against the government, bringing together families of detainees, activists and students.
On Monday, dozens of students demonstrated in Caracas in memory of Navas and his son. Some chanted “They are not dead, we killed them! HAS” and held the Venezuelan state responsible for the two deaths.
These new releases also come several months afterold promises of liberation made by the authorities and against a backdrop of international pressure targeting Caracas. United States President Donald Trump recently declared that he would seek the release of “all” Venezuelan political prisoners.
Although Chavismo continues to deny the existence of political prisoners, the latest report (source in Spanish) of the NGO Foro Penal indicates that 454 people remain detained in Venezuela for political reasons, despite the releases carried out since January.
