Venezuela says 131 political prisoners freed amid post-Maduro talks

Venezuela says it has freed 131 people considered political prisoners, in a sign of progress for national reconciliation following the United States’ removal of former President Nicolas Maduro.

Those released had been granted “alternative measures from incarceration” under the Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence, the country’s interim government said on Friday.

Opposition movement Vente Venezuela said it had independently verified the release of 43 detainees, and the Foro Penal rights group, which advocates for the release of alleged political prisoners, said “at least 40” had been freed.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the recent release of more than 130 political prisoners in Venezuela is “a crucial step for the nation’s reconciliation process”.

Since the US overthrew and detained Maduro on January 3 this year, 1,046 Venezuelans have been released, Rubio added on X.

Venezuela is now being governed by Maduro’s former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, with significant influence from Washington.

Former prisoners were seen reuniting with their families in emotional scenes outside El Rodeo I prison in Guatire, 50 kilometres (31 miles) east of the capital Caracas.

Foro Penal said that 17 women had been freed on Friday, including one accused of participating in an assassination plot against Maduro.

It earlier said 391 political prisoners remained behind bars as of August 10.

‘Immense relief’

Opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa welcomed the releases but demanded that all political prisoners be freed.

Guanipa said on X that each person returning home is “an immense relief” for families who have “suffered too much,” but stressed that releasing some prisoners is not enough.

He demanded that all political prisoners be freed “without exception, without delay, and promptly”, and that Venezuela needs to “close forever the door of torture centres”.

The first round of the US-brokered talks between the government and the opposition kicked off last week and wrapped up on Wednesday.

A joint statement issued by both sides after the talks said they had agreed to work on retrieving frozen funds from overseas to help with recovery from the devastating June earthquakes, which killed more than 6,300 people, as well as to work on reforming Venezuela’s judiciary.

The joint statement did not address the issue of political prisoners.

The reconciliation talks between the government and opposition are being led by Dinorah Figuera and National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, the brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez. Figuera has pledged to keep up the fight for the release of more political prisoners in the talks.

Many Venezuelans are hopeful that the transition talks will lead to democratic elections, after Maduro’s claimed victories in the 2018 and 2024 elections were rejected as fraudulent by the opposition and many foreign countries.