Venezuela Frees Political Prisoners in Bid to ‘Seek Peace’

Venezuela’s interim administration has begun releasing political prisoners, days after U.S. forces captured its president last week to face criminal charges in the United States.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, the brother of interim President Delcy Rodríguez, said on Jan. 8 the government has decided to release “a significant number” of Venezuelan and foreign detainees as a gesture affirming its “broad intention to seek peace.”

The announcement came after U.S. forces carried out airstrikes on Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, on Jan. 3 and captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to face drug and arms-related charges in the United States. Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty to all charges on Jan. 5.

Among those released on Jan. 8 are two prominent Venezuelan opposition figures, Enrique Márquez and Biagio Pilieri, who were seen in social media footage embracing family members upon their release, according to local rights groups.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry confirmed that five of its citizens, one of whom holds dual citizenship, had been released from Venezuelan prisons and will return to Spain soon.

“The five compatriots released today in Venezuela are already flying towards Spain. Soon, they will be home with their loved ones. I have spoken with them to convey my joy at their release,” Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated on X.

The Committee for the Liberation of Political Prisoners in Venezuela has called on the government to act swiftly and with transparency in the release of political prisoners.

“Opacity and discretion continue to prevail in the handling of these releases, which increases the anxiety, distress, and uncertainty of family members and political prisoners,” the committee stated on X.

Alfredo Romero, director of the Caracas-based advocacy group Foro Penal, said the group will be verifying each of the released detainees.

“We already know of some people on their way to freedom, including foreigners,” Romero said in a social media post.

It remains unclear how many political prisoners are expected to be released.

Romero stated on Jan. 6 that 863 individuals were still imprisoned for political reasons in Venezuela, including 86 detainees with foreign nationality.

Approximately 2,200 people were arrested by Venezuelan authorities following the country’s disputed presidential election in 2024, according to a July 15, 2025, report by Amnesty International.

Following the 2024 election, in which Venezuela’s government-controlled electoral authority declared Maduro the winner, the opposition alleged irregularities, and multiple nations, including the United States, questioned the legitimacy of the results.

Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González went into exile in Spain in September 2024 after Venezuelan authorities issued an arrest warrant for him following the disputed election results.