Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced on Friday a general amnesty and the closure of a notorious prison, less than a month after US forces arrested President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.
Speaking before the Supreme Court, Rodríguez said: “We have decided to propose a general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present,” noting that the draft law will be submitted to parliament.
She added: “It will be a law aimed at healing the wounds left by political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism. This will allow justice to return to its proper course in our country and enable the resumption of coexistence among Venezuelans.”
Rodríguez also pledged to close the Helicoide prison, which the opposition and human rights activists describe as a torture center. She said: “We have decided that the Helicoide facilities, which are currently used as a detention center, will become a social, sports, and cultural center.”
The acting president also announced plans to hold a “broad national consultation for a new judicial system.”
Among those attending the speech were senior government figures, including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodríguez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, and Attorney General Tarek William Saab.
Days after President Nicolás Maduro was arrested by a US special force on January 3 and transferred to the United States to stand trial on drug trafficking charges, the Venezuelan government—under US pressure—promised to release political prisoners. However, releases have taken place in small and sporadic batches.
At least 711 political prisoners, including 65 foreigners, remain in Venezuelan prisons, according to the NGO Foro Penal, which specializes in defending political detainees.
Authorities, for their part, say that more than 800 political prisoners—without labeling them as such—have been released, stressing that the releases began before Maduro’s arrest.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado said the presidential announcement was the result of US “pressure,” stating: “This is not a voluntary act by the regime, but a response to pressure from the US government. I hope prisoners will soon be able to reunite with their families.”
The new head of the US diplomatic mission to Venezuela, Laura Dogu, is expected to arrive in Caracas on Saturday as part of efforts to restore relations between the two countries, according to a diplomatic source cited by Agence France-Presse.
Dogu was appointed on January 22 in a move considered a turning point in relations between Washington and Caracas, which have been severed since 2019.
AFP
