Venezuela announced on Monday, January 12th that 116 political prisoners have been released since the government began implementing measures to free those jailed under Nicolás Maduro, who was seized by U.S. forces in a raid on Caracas.
The Ministry of the Penitentiary Service stated that the releases
have benefited individuals deprived of liberty for acts related to disrupting the constitutional order and undermining the Nation’s stability.
The non-governmental organizationForo Penal confirmed that 24 people were freed early Monday, including two Italian nationals, while Venezuela’s political opposition reported the release of a youth leader.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni expressed gratitude to the interim Venezuelan government led by Delcy Rodríguez, confirming that the Italian citizens were safe at the Italian Embassy in Caracas. Meloni stated that a plane had already departed Rome to bring them home.
Human rights organizations estimate that between 800 and 1,200 political prisoners remain in Venezuela. The announcement comes under the influence of U.S. president Donald Trump, who has claimed that the United States is “in charge” of Venezuela after Maduro’s capture and subsequent extradition to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.
Over the weekend, Trump celebrated the prisoner releases, saying he hoped those freed “will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done.”
