Foro Penal considered it “timely” for the authorities to publish an official list with the names of those released from prison, given the lack of detailed information from the Executive.
The NGO Foro Penal stated that, so far, it has only managed to verify 61 of the 99 releases announced by the government of Nicolás Maduro, corresponding to people detained – according to the Ministry for Penitentiary Services – during the protests after the 2024 presidential elections, whose results were described as fraudulent by the opposition.
In a publication spread on social networks, the organization, which leads the defense of political prisoners in the country, stated that 60 of the verified releases occurred on December 25 and one more on December 27. Of the confirmed total, 60 are Venezuelan citizens and one has dual Venezuelan and Chilean nationality.
Foro Penal considered it “timely” for the authorities to publish an official list with the names of those released from prison, given the lack of detailed information from the Executive.
*Read also: Number of political prisoners does not decrease in proportion to releases, says NGO
Earlier, the NGO Justice, Encounter and Forgiveness (JEP) argued that the freedom of political prisoners in Venezuela depends on an “incomprehensible chance” and not on compliance with clear legal criteria. In the organization’s opinion, the country closes 2025 with a release process “marked by strategic opacity and a discretionary line of selection that points to absolute randomness.”
In statements offered to EFE, the general coordinator of JEP, Martha Tineo, warned that in previous processes releases have been announced that include people detained for non-political reasons, which – she said – makes independent verification difficult. “What were the criteria to decide who leaves and who stays?” he questioned.
After the 2024 presidential elections, more than 2,400 people were arrested, the majority later released from prison, and accused of “terrorism” and “vandalism” by the Attorney General’s Office. However, human rights organizations and opposition parties maintain that these are arbitrary arrests and that those accused are innocent.
According to the latest report from Foro Penal, with a cut-off date of December 15, there were 902 political prisoners in Venezuela, of which 86 are foreigners or Venezuelans with dual nationality.
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content is being published taking into consideration the threats and limits that have consequently been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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