Venezuela Begins Unilateral Release of Political Prisoners in 'Gesture of Peace'

Overview

• National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez said releases of Venezuelan and foreign detainees were underway immediately, framing the move as unilateral and aimed at peaceful coexistence.
• Rights groups and opposition figures pressed for transparent verification and the unconditional liberation of all political prisoners, noting that nongovernmental tallies put the total above 800.
• Early reported releases included activist Rocío San Miguel and at least four Spanish nationals named by diplomatic sources, with local media also reporting the release of opposition figure Enrique Márquez.
• Rodríguez publicly thanked Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Qatar and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for responding to a request from the interim presidency, while the extent of their role remained unclear.
• The White House credited President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign for the move, which marks the first wave of releases under interim leader Delcy Rodríguez following the U.S. operation that captured Nicolás Maduro.