Venezuela has begun releasing political prisoners after the US seized President Nicolas Maduro.
The BBC writes about this.
The decision to release a significant number of prisoners was announced live on state television by the Speaker of the National Assembly Jorge Rodriguez, brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
He did not specify how many people were being released and who they were. However, Venezuelan human rights activist Marta Tineo said that they were being released from El Elicoide prison, one of the main symbols of political repression in Venezuela, DW writes.
According to various estimates, from 50 to 80 people were held there, against whom violence and electric shocks were used. The day before, US President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered the closure of this prison.
On January 9, Trump reported that due to the decision of the new government to release political prisoners, he had canceled the planned second wave of attacks on Venezuela.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry confirmed the release of five of its citizens. Among them is Rocio San Miguel, a prominent human rights activist specializing in defense issues who criticized the Maduro regime. The Spaniard became the first political prisoner to be officially confirmed to have been released.
According to the human rights organization Foro Penal, there are about 800 political prisoners in custody in Venezuela. Many of them were arrested during protests against the re-election of Nicolas Maduro in 2024.
The release of political prisoners has long been a key US demand for Venezuela. Arrests in the country have been systematically used to suppress dissent, but former government officials have denied this, saying those detained were committing ordinary crimes.
The US operation in Venezuela
At least seven explosions rocked Caracas, Venezuela, on the night of January 3. Several military installations in the country were targeted on the orders of the US President Donald Trump, including the La Carlota and Fuerte Tiuna air bases, the La Guaira seaport, the home of the defense minister, and the El Volcán signal antenna.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has declared a state of emergency across the country. At least 11 sites are estimated to have been attacked, including the parliament building.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were arrested and deported to the United States. They were charged with narcoterrorism, cocaine importation, illegal possession of machine guns and explosives, and conspiracy against the United States.
The Supreme Court of Venezuela appointed Jorge Rodriguez as the countryʼs interim leader. And on the evening of January 3, Nicolas Maduro was transferred to the federal detention center Metropolitan Detention Center in New York.
On Monday, January 5, Venezuelan authorities issued a Saturday decree declaring a state of emergency and ordering police to detain anyone supporting the armed attack by the United States. The same day , the first trial of Maduro and his wife took place in New York.
As early as January 7, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said that 100 people had died in the US operation on January 3. Venezuelan officials said that a large part of Maduroʼs security service had been "killed in cold blood", and Cuba said that 32 of its military and intelligence officers had been killed in Venezuela.
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