Venezuela begins prisoner releases as Rodriguez promises return for exiles

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez promised on Monday that Venezuelans in exile would be welcomed back with open arms following a new amnesty law passed after the US ouster of Nicolas Maduro, as authorities continued to slowly release prisoners, France 24 reported. 

"I am telling you: the doors of Venezuela, the arms of the Venezuelan people are open to those who want to return in this process of healing from hatred," she said in a televised address.

Seven million Venezuelans have fled their homeland due to the political and economic crisis, and many opposition figures live in exile.

Meanwhile, at least 30 prisoners were released on Monday from the Rodeo I penitentiary east of Caracas to scenes of rejoicing from waiting relatives, following the passage of the amnesty law.

"We are free," shouted several prisoners with shaved heads as they exited the prison gates, ending an anguished wait for their families.

"We are completely free, without any restrictions," Luis Viera, one of the released prisoners, told AFP. He had been jailed for 13 months.

Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto demanded the immediate release of Maduro.

Maduro, who was ousted as president in a January 3 raid by the United States, is in custody in New York along with his wife, awaiting trial.

The 63-year-old has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges and declared that he was a "prisoner of war".

"January 3, 2026, marked a turning point of extreme gravity," Gil told the top UN rights body on Monday, adding that the "illegal military action" by US forces left over 100 people dead.