Venezuelan authorities have released prominent opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa after eight months in detention, marking a significant development in the country’s ongoing political tensions. Guanipa, a key ally of opposition leader María Corina Machado and former vice-president of the National Assembly, was detained in May 2025 on charges of terrorism and treason following his challenge of the disputed 2024 presidential election results.
The release comes amid a gradual prisoner liberation process initiated by Venezuela’s interim government following the January capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. authorities. Maduro currently faces drug trafficking charges in New York courts.
Guanipa’s son, Ramón Guanipa, confirmed the development through social media, expressing both relief and continued concern. “Our entire family will be able to hug again soon,” he wrote, while cautioning that “hundreds of Venezuelans remain unjustly imprisoned.”
According to Foro Penal, a Venezuelan organization providing assistance to political prisoners, nearly 400 detainees have been released since the interim government’s January 8 promise to free “a significant number” of prisoners. The organization’s president, Alfredo Romero, confirmed at least 30 individuals were freed on Sunday alone, including Guanipa and other notable figures such as Perkins Rocha, Jesús Armas, and Luis Tarbay.
The release of political prisoners was among the key demands made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who described such actions as “a very important and smart gesture” from Venezuelan authorities. Despite these developments, the interim government has proceeded cautiously, releasing detainees in small groups rather than implementing mass liberations.
Guanipa’s political history includes his election as governor of the Zulia region, though he was barred from assuming office after refusing to swear an oath before Maduro’s National Constituent Assembly. His detention in May 2025 followed what opposition leader Machado characterized as “an act of state terrorism,” with security forces tracking him down while he was in hiding.
The release represents ongoing negotiations between Venezuelan political factions and international stakeholders, though many remain skeptical about the interim government’s commitment to comprehensive reform.