More than 100 political prisoners were freed on Sunday in Venezuela, as detainees continue to be released gradually under pressure from the United States, according to the non-governmental organisation Foro Penal.
“At Foro Penal we have verified 104 releases of political prisoners in Venezuela today,” the rights group announced on social media.
Earlier in the day, Foro Penal had put the number of releases at 80.
The organisation’s director, Alfredo Romero, said on X that efforts were ongoing to confirm the identities of those freed from detention centres across the country.
Foro Penal lawyer Gonzalo Himiob said the first releases took place in the early hours of Sunday.
“This figure is not yet definitive and could increase as we proceed with verifications,” he added on X.
The releases follow a pledge by the government of Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, who assumed power after leftist president Nicolas Maduro was captured by US special forces earlier this month, to free a “large number” of opposition figures imprisoned under the previous administration.
Speaking on Sunday to oil workers in Anzoategui state in eastern Venezuela, Rodriguez projected defiance toward external influence.
“Enough orders from Washington on politicians in Venezuela. Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and internal conflicts. Enough of foreign powers,” she said.
“It has cost this republic dearly to have to face the consequences of fascism, of extremism in our country.”
Authorities in Caracas say 626 detainees have been released since December, but Foro Penal says it has confirmed only about half of that figure.
Venezuela’s opposition groups and human rights organisations have criticised the pace of the releases, describing it as slow and uncertain.
Meanwhile, families of detained individuals have continued to gather outside prisons, waiting anxiously for news of their loved ones’ freedom.
What you should know
The release of political prisoners in Venezuela comes amid heightened international scrutiny following the arrest of former president Nicolas Maduro and the emergence of an interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez.
While authorities claim hundreds of detainees have been freed, rights groups dispute the figures and argue that the process lacks transparency. The gradual releases are widely seen as a response to pressure from the United States, though Venezuelan officials insist decisions are sovereign.
Families of detainees remain on alert, with many still waiting for confirmation that their relatives will be released.
