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Spain Confirms Five Citizens Freed as Venezuela Starts Limited Prisoner Releases

Rights groups say the opaque process has left families without answers.

Overview

  • National Assembly chief Jorge Rodríguez said the excarcerations are a unilateral government gesture, without publishing an official list.
  • Former presidential candidate Enrique Márquez and opposition figure Biagio Pilieri were freed on January 8 after being held at El Helicoide in Caracas.
  • Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares confirmed that Rocío San Miguel and four other Spanish citizens arrived in Madrid following their release.
  • Independent monitors verified only 8 to 11 releases so far, while NGOs report more than 800 people remain detained for political reasons.
  • Families and activists report confusion at detention sites as authorities provide no documentation, with El Rodeo I holding over 400 detainees and El Helicoide fewer than 100.