Venezuela frees dozens of political prisoners, including prominent activist
Activists at a protest in Caracas (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Human rights activist Javier Tarazona, one of the most prominent critics of the Venezuelan regime, has been released from prison after more than four and a half years behind bars. At least 30 other political prisoners were also freed, reports Reuters.
Tarazona, director of FundaRedes, an organization documenting human rights violations along the Colombian border, was arrested in July 2021 on charges of terrorism and conspiracy - charges widely considered by human rights groups to be politically motivated.
The human rights organization Foro Penal noted that Tarazona’s release is part of a broader process of freeing political prisoners, under which hundreds of inmates have been released since early January.
Among those released were at least 30 other individuals considered political prisoners, though human rights groups and families of the incarcerated have criticized the process as slow and lacking transparency. According to their data, over 700 people remain behind bars.
The release followed the announcement by interim president Delcy Rodríguez of a draft amnesty law, which provides for the release of prisoners held under political charges and includes plans to convert the El Helicoide prison into a social center - a facility previously criticized for torture and human rights violations.
Tarazona’s family wrote on social media that after 1,675 days in prison (4 years and 7 months), he is free again, and that his release symbolizes hope for others waiting for freedom.
Human rights organizations stress that while these steps indicate some progress, they do not resolve the broader issue of political repression in Venezuela, and the question of fully releasing all political prisoners remains unanswered.
Recently, interim president Delcy Rodríguez presented a general amnesty bill covering the period from 1999 to the present.
According to her, the law is intended to heal the wounds caused by years of political confrontation, violence, and extremism, and to promote justice and social peace in Venezuela.
On January 3, the US conducted a special operation in Caracas to detain Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken to the US, where they face charges of drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession.
The Maduro couple is awaiting trial, which media reports indicate will not begin before 2027.
