On January 25, Venezuelan authorities released 104 people from prison who had been convicted on political grounds. This was reported on Twitter by Gonzalo Himiob, vice president of the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal. “The figure is not final. It may increase as more cases are reviewed,” the rights activist wrote.
Political prisoners began to be released in Venezuela on January 8, shortly after the United States captured and removed President Nicolás Maduro from the country. U.S. President Donald Trump said that the political prisoners were being freed at the demand of the American administration.
The non-governmental organization Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón (JEP) reported on January 25 that, according to its data, a total of 229 political prisoners have been released since January 8. Acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez said on January 23 that 626 people had been freed, but human rights groups have not confirmed this information.
Among those released were opposition leader Biagio Pilieri, who took part in María Corina Machado’s presidential campaign in 2024, 2024 presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, and Venezuelan-Spanish human rights defender Rocío San Miguel.
