Venezuela’s acting president has announced an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the closure of a notorious detention center, the latest concession since the U.S. arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
Delcy Rodríguez said Friday that the pardon applies to cases from 1999 to the present, but excludes cases charged with murder, drug trafficking, corruption and human rights violations.
She said she has directed the Judiciary Committee to submit the legislation to Parliament.
“I once again ask for the full cooperation of the Venezuelan Congress so that this law can help heal the wounds left by political conflicts fueled by violence and extremism, restore justice in our country, and promote peaceful coexistence among the Venezuelan people,” she said.
Mr. Rodríguez also announced that the government has decided to close El Helicoid Prison, Venezuela’s most feared prison, and transform it into a social and sports service center for the community.
The announcement came on the same day that U.S. officials announced that Venezuela had released all known Americans detained in the country.
The United States calls for the release of all political prisoners in Venezuela. This is one of several demands made by the Trump administration, which believes it has economic and military influence to force Rodriguez and her government to cooperate in the wake of Maduro’s detention.
Earlier this month, Venezuela announced it would release a “significant number” of political prisoners in a gesture of peace to the United States. At least 302 people had been released as of Thursday, according to the Foro criminal organization, but that number is far lower than the more than 800 announced by authorities.
Rodriguez previously said he would contact the United Nations High Commissioner’s Office to confirm the list of those released, but so far the government has not released an official list of the identities of the detainees.
Alfredo Romero, director of Foro Prison, said in X that an amnesty is “welcome as long as its elements and conditions include all members of civil society without discrimination, that it does not become a cover for impunity, and that it contributes to the dismantling of repressive mechanisms of political persecution.”
