Overview
- Family-led groups reported 71 people were excarcerated on December 25, including 65 men, three women and three adolescents held in Tocorón, La Crisálida and La Guaira.
- Foro Penal cited a smaller figure of at least 26 releases the same day, underscoring discrepancies in counts.
- Relatives say the release process had been suspended since March 2025 and that this action restarts those case reviews.
- Officials maintain Venezuela has no political prisoners and say detainees were held for serious crimes, while Foro Penal listed 902 people jailed for political reasons as of December 20.
- Coverage notes the timing against heightened international pressure on Caracas, with U.S. sanctions and Caribbean deployments referenced as context.