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Venezuela Frees Over 100 Political Prisoners as NGOs Press for Transparency

Independent monitors dispute the government’s tally, pressing for public lists.

Familiares de presos políticos realizaron una vigilia frente a la cárcel Rodeo I, en Guatire, para exigir liberaciones.
Venezuela liberó otros 80 presos políticos: qué pasa con los argentinos.
Familiares de presos políticos realizan una vigilia exigiendo la liberación de sus seres queridos frente a la cárcel Rodeo I en Guatire, Venezuela, el viernes 23 de enero de 2026. (Foto AP/Ariana Cubillos)
Melba Vazquez (C) mother of political prisoner Merwin Simons receives a beauty treatment at a makeshift hair salon outside the Rodeo I, prison, while waiting for news about the release of prisoners in Guatire, Miranda State, some 30 kilometers east of Caracas on January 25, 2026 (Photo by Ronaldo SCHEMIDT / AFP)

Overview

  • Foro Penal verified 104 excarcerations during the Jan. 25–26 wave and said the count could rise as identities are confirmed.
  • The interim government maintains a cumulative figure of 626 releases since December and says it will ask the UN human-rights chief to verify its list.
  • Opposition groups and NGOs report lower totals than officials, underscoring persistent discrepancies and a lack of published names.
  • Rights monitors estimate that hundreds of political prisoners remain jailed, with Foro Penal citing roughly 780 still detained.
  • Confirmed releases include lawyer and rights defender Kenny (Kennedy) Tejeda, journalism student Juan Francisco Alvarado, and attorney Jesús Perozo, while families of several Argentine detainees say they have no confirmation of release.