Venezuela approves amnesty that could release of hundreds detained for political reasons

Caracas: Venezuela's acting president on Thursday signed into law an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of politicians, activists, lawyers and many others, effectively acknowledging that the government has held hundreds of people in prison for political motivations. The approval marks a reversal for authorities in the South American nation, who for decades have denied holding any political prisoners. It is the latest policy reversal following last month's stunning US military raid in the country's capital, Caracas, to capture then-President Nicolás Maduro. The measure is expected to benefit opposition members, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and many others who were targeted by the ruling party over the past 27 years.

But families hoping for the release of their loved ones — some of whom have been gathered outside detention facilities for weeks — say that acting President Delcy Rodríguez has failed to deliver on earlier promises to release prisoners. In the days after Maduro's January 3 capture, Rodríguez's government announced it would release a significant number of prisoners. However, relatives and human rights watchdogs have criticised the slow pace of releases and the restrictive conditions under which many have been placed after leaving prison. The new law was not a prerequisite for the government to free prisoners, but families held out hope that it could speed up releases. Some gathered outside detention facilities in Caracas grew impatient as hopes of immediate releases were disappointed Thursday night, retreating to their tents as Christian music played from a loudspeaker. Venezuela-based prisoners' rights group Foro Penal has tallied 448 releases since January 8. The group estimates that more than 600 people are still in custody for political reasons. Rodríguez, who proposed the bill late last month, signed the measure into law shortly after it was approved by the country's legislature. She said during the signing that it showed that the country's political leaders were “letting go of a little intolerance and opening new avenues for politics in Venezuela." The bill's purpose is to grant people “a general and full amnesty for crimes or offenses committed” during specific periods since 1999 that were marked by politically-driven conflicts in Venezuela, including “acts of politically motivated violence” in the context of the 2024 presidential election. The aftermath of that election led to protests and the arrest of more than 2,000 people, including minors.

The debate over the bill was suspended last week after lawmakers were unable to agree on some issues, including whether people who left the country to avoid detention can be granted amnesty, and laid bare the resistance from some ruling-party loyalists to seeing opposition members granted relief. Lawmakers on Thursday overcame the disagreement by allowing those abroad to have a lawyer seek amnesty on their behalf instead of forcing them to return to Venezuela to request the relief in person. Once someone abroad has filed a request for amnesty, the law shields them from arrest when they return to the country to appear in court for a ruling on their request. “It's not perfect, but it is undoubtedly a great step forward for the reconciliation of Venezuela,” opposition lawmaker Nora Bracho said in the debate. “It will undoubtedly alleviate the suffering of many Venezuelans.” People convicted of human rights violations, war crimes, murder, drug trafficking and corruption do not qualify for amnesty, nor do people “who are being prosecuted or may be prosecuted or convicted for promoting, instigating, soliciting, invoking, favoring, facilitating, financing, or participating in armed or forceful actions against” Venezuela “by foreign states, corporations or individuals.” That could leave out members of the opposition who have supported Trump's policy toward Venezuela. General amnesty has long been a central demand of Venezuela's opposition and human rights organizations, but they have viewed the proposal with cautious optimism and raised several concerns about eligibility and implementation. The law was criticized Thursday by some members of the opposition, including Pedro Urruchurtu, international relations director for opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laurate María Corina Machado. Urruchurtu has lived in exile since May, when he and other Machado staffers left the Argentine diplomatic compound in Caracas, where they had sheltered for more than a year to avoid arrest. He rejected the law's requirement that exiles return to Venezuela and appear in court. “A true amnesty doesn't require laws, but rather will, something that is lacking in this discussion,” Urruchurtu said on X. "It is not only an invalid and illegitimate law, but also a trap to buy time and revictimize those persecuted." Some relatives of prisoners called on Trump to pressure Venezuela's government into freeing their loved ones. “From the beginning, they have been liars, deceivers and mockers,” Marielis Guzmán said of Venezuelan authorities while standing outside a prison in Caracas on Thursday. “What the Venezuelan state has done is abuse its power.”