U.S. Confirms Venezuela Has Begun Releasing Detained Americans as Disputed Prisoner Counts Persist

Overview

• The U.S. Department of State said more than one American has been freed and called the move a step in the right direction, without giving exact numbers.
• Venezuela’s penitentiary ministry announced 116 releases, while Foro Penal verified 56 and a families’ committee counted 69 as of Tuesday.
• Spanish authorities confirmed the release of activist Rocío San Miguel, and rights groups reported that Italian citizens were also among those freed.
• Opposition figures and family groups say more than 1,000 people remain unjustly jailed, criticize the lack of published lists, and note continued deaths in custody.
• Chavista leader Jorge Rodríguez framed the releases as a unilateral gesture by interim authorities under a state of exception, with reports of heightened security checks and phone searches across the country.