CARACAS, VENEZUELA – In a move that comes amid mounting public and international pressure over arbitrary political detentions, Venezuela’s sitting government has unveiled plans to free 300 detainees this week, a cohort that includes dozens of individuals held for years on what rights advocates describe as politically motivated charges. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez made the announcement Tuesday during a plenary session at Caracas’ legislative palace, stopping short of explicitly labeling the upcoming releases a political prisoner amnesty. But leading human rights defenders have already confirmed that many of the people named in the government’s release list were arbitrarily detained for their opposition to the current administration.
Venezuela plans to free 300 people including some whose detentions are considered politically based
