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Venezuelan NGO Verifies 139 Political-Prisoner Releases as Tally Dispute Widens

Officials tout a larger wave of liberations while rights groups cite hundreds still detained and press for transparency in the process.

Overview

  • Foro Penal said it had confirmed 139 releases as of Saturday at 5 p.m. local time, tracking excarcerations since the January 8 announcement.
  • Recent releases include foreign nationals, among them Ukrainian student Yevhenii Trush—who has CIDH precautionary measures—as well as a Hungarian, a Romanian, a Czech, and an Iranian-Irish dual national.
  • The government, represented by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, claims about 406 people have been freed since December and asserts the country has no political prisoners.
  • Families and activists report many remain jailed—Foro Penal cites roughly 700—and describe harsh conditions, with a hunger strike and alleged isolation reported at Rodeo I.
  • Relatives continue vigils and public actions, including a Bogotá rally, and opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia said his son-in-law was seen after 374 days incommunicado and is visibly deteriorated.