Alfredo Romero, indicated that between Friday and 12:00 pm this Sunday, 16 releases with full freedom were confirmed, unlike some previous releases in which people were released from prison under precautionary measures.
The NGO Foro Penal, which leads the legal defense of political prisoners in Venezuela, reported this Sunday that it has verified at least 40 releases of people detained for political reasons since the entry into force of the Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence, approved last Thursday by the National Assembly.
Gonzalo Himiob, director of the organization, indicated on the social network
For its part, the NGO Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (Clipp) detailed that relatives have reported releases in detention centers such as the women’s prison Instituto Nacional de Orientación Femenina (INOF) and the El Rodeo I and II prisons, all three located in the state of Miranda.
In this context, the Venezuelan Red Cross announced that it will provide medical care and health evaluations to those released, within the framework of the amnesty process, a humanitarian gesture that seeks to accompany the reintegration of those who have been deprived of liberty for political reasons.
However, the official response and release figures have generated discrepancies. The president of the National Assembly, Chavista Jorge Rodríguez, assured on Saturday that since that afternoon “hundreds of releases” derived from the Amnesty Law had been taking place, although he did not offer details about the identity of the beneficiaries or the precise number of cases.
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The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), for its part, indicated on Saturday night that it had only confirmed 19 releases after the promulgation of the amnesty, while Foro Penal had verified 16 cases until noon this Sunday.
Exclusions and criticisms of the Amnesty Law
The amnesty law covers, in theory, the period between 1999 and 2026, but establishes 13 specific political situations since 2002, which leaves out arrests that occurred in at least 15 of the last 27 years, as well as cases related to military operations, according to the EFE agency.
Foro Penal has estimated that at least 400 political prisoners could be excluded from the rule, given that it only benefits those who were detained in the periods contemplated by the legislation, while it counts more than 600 detainees who are still imprisoned for political reasons.
*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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