Venezuela has released at least 80 detainees considered political prisoners, according to the human rights organization Foro Penal, as part of what it described as an ongoing release process.
The organization said on the social media platform X that the individuals were freed from prisons across the country on Sunday, adding that further releases are expected in the coming days.
The announcement follows comments made on Friday by Delcy Rodríguez, who said authorities had released 626 people from detention facilities, without specifying the timeframe in which those releases took place.
However, Foro Penal has previously said that only 156 political prisoners had been freed since January 8, highlighting a discrepancy between official figures and those documented by independent rights groups.
Rodríguez also said a phone call is scheduled for Monday with Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, during which the international body will be asked to verify the lists of those released so far.
Human rights organizations have long accused Venezuelan authorities of arbitrarily detaining political opponents, activists and protesters, while the government denies holding political prisoners. The latest releases come amid growing international scrutiny of Venezuela’s human rights record and calls for greater transparency over detention practices.
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