CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s government plans to release from custody this week 300 people, some of whom have been detained for years for political reasons.
National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez announced the planned releases Tuesday during a session at the legislative palace in the capital, Caracas. He did not explicitly say that those set for release are political prisoners, but human rights defenders have classified the detentions of some of the detainees he mentioned as politically motivated.
“We’re not asking anything of anyone, nor are we asking for anything in return,” Rodríguez said. “We simply ask that you appreciate the gesture, and if at any point you become aware of any opposition member who has committed a crime against public funds, please report it, and we will assist you in filing the complaint.”
The announcement comes as acting President Delcy Rodríguez, sister of the National Assembly president, faces scrutiny over last year’s in-custody death of Víctor Hugo Quero, who was considered a political prisoner, and the passing of his elderly mother, Carmen Navas, on Sunday.
Navas, 82, died 10 days after Venezuela’s prisons agency announced in a statement that Quero died in July after being hospitalized while in custody. The government withheld the information even as Navas demanded proof of life as she visited detention centers, courthouses and government agencies seeking the whereabouts of Quero, who had been detained since January 2025.
The government’s statement said Quero, a 51-year-old salesperson, died of “acute respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary thromboembolism” 10 days after he was taken to the hospital for a gastrointestinal issue. It explained that his relatives were not notified of his death because he failed to provide contact information.
Navas was laid to rest Tuesday in Caracas. A day earlier, a few dozen people, mostly college students, demonstrated in Navas’ memory and blamed Venezuela’s government for her and her son’s deaths.
The Venezuelan prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal estimates that more than 400 people are detained in the South American country for political reasons.
Tuesday’s announcement echoes one made in the days after the United States military attacked the country on Jan. 3 and captured then-President Nicolás Maduro. At the time, Jorge Rodríguez said the planned releases were an effort “intended to seek peace” without specifying with whom.
The initial releases earned the acting president praise from U.S. President Donald Trump even as relatives of people still detained as well as human rights watchdogs criticized Venezuela’s government for the selective and slow pace of the process. Then, last week, Trump told reporters he would secure the release of all political prisoners.
“We’re gonna get them all out,” Trump said.
___
Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City.