The Venezuelan government released a number of local and foreign prisoners on January 8, including prominent opposition representatives. This was reported by El Nacional.
It is reported that the exact number and full list of prisoners released so far has not been disclosed. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that among those released are five Spanish citizens.
According to media reports, among those released are Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa and human rights defender Rocío San Miguel. Some sources also write that Rafael Tudares, the son-in-law of opposition politician Edmundo González, may have been released. According to international observers, González defeated incumbent Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela's last presidential election.
The US administration also reacted to this decision. According to White House press secretary for international affairs Anna Kelly, the release of political prisoners is a decision made by the President taking into account the interests of the American and Venezuelan peoples.
For information, according to the human rights organization Foro Penal, there are currently about 800 political prisoners being held in Venezuela. Most of them were arrested during protests against the re-election of Nicolás Maduro in 2024. International organizations have accused Venezuelan security forces of gross human rights violations.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and opposition leader María Corina Machado praised the release of political prisoners.
