The president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, promised more releases “as a unilateral gesture by the government.” He added that these people are not political prisoners, but “politicians who had committed offenses against the law.”
«To date more than 400 people have been released from prison; the first 160 on December 23, 2024 (sic)” (although perhaps he was referring to December of last year), said the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, during the session this Tuesday, January 13. The statement was given in response to deputy Luis Florido, who asked to “honor the complete word so that mass releases can occur” and thus avoid the suffering of family members who remain vigil in different detention centers in the country.
“I leave the list (of those released) at your disposal if you want to see it, citizen, deputy and cousin,” Rodríguez added when dismissing and attacking the non-governmental organization. Criminal Forum.
The president of Parliament insisted that the people who received precautionary measures are not political prisoners, but rather “politicians who had committed offenses against the law: people who asked for an invasion, they obliged; people who asked for military aggression against Venezuela, they obliged; people who promoted violence, disunity, division and, precisely, to promote peaceful coexistence and national unity, unilaterally, and at the request of the National Council for Sovereignty and Peace, the Executive began a massive process of releases.
Rodríguez disparaged the figures offered by the Penal Forum, which today said that only 56 verified political prisoners have been released and that he condemned the fact that there was no public list with the names of those people, and maintained: “They will be the ones who paid the Penal Forum because it charges people to process the issue of their releases. He charges them money in a cunning, mean way. Garbage, that way the Penal Forum uses the situation of people deprived of liberty.
Despite the figures given by Rodríguez, the Ministry for the Penitentiary Service reported last Monday, January 12, that there had been 116 new releases in the last few hours, within the framework of the announcement of “a significant number” of releases; to which he added another 187, which they say occurred in December 2025; whose precise identities were not known either.
Jorge Rodríguez promised more releases “as a unilateral government getso.”
The figures of the President of Parliament do not coincide with those of NGOs defending human rights, nor with the same data from the Ministry for the Penitentiary Service. According to the organizations, there are more than a thousand people detained in the country for political reasons and they demand freedom for all.
Swearing in of substitutes
On the other hand, the substitute deputies of the National Assembly of Caracas, Miranda and the national list presented themselves to the headquarters of the Legislative Branch and were sworn in before the board.
The directors of the 15 permanent commissions of the Legislative Branch were also appointed. At this point, Jorge Rodríguez asked the deputies that public consultations with the people be “more intense and prolific” so that citizens are aware of the discussions established in the commissions.
And the presidents and vice presidents of the parliamentary friendship groups with 21 countries around the world were appointed.
*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 was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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