Rodríguez announced the closure of the notorious El Helicoid prison, while calling for healing of “the wounds left by political conflicts”.
Published January 31, 2026
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez has announced an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners of war, the latest major reform since US forces abducted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife earlier this month.
“We have decided to move forward with the enactment of a general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present,” Rodriguez said on Friday.
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Speaking at a gathering of judges, magistrates, ministers, military personnel and other government leaders, the acting president said Parliament would urgently consider the amnesty bill.
“I pray that this law will help heal the wounds left by political conflicts fueled by violence and extremism,” Rodriguez said in a pre-recorded television event.
“May it help change the direction of justice in our country, and may it help change the direction of coexistence among Venezuelans,” she said.
Rodriguez also announced the closure of Caracas’s notorious El Helicoid prison, where torture and other human rights violations have been documented by independent organizations.
El Helicoid will be transformed into a sporting, social and cultural center for the surrounding area, she said.
Rodriguez made the announcement in front of officials who former prisoners and human rights watchdogs have accused of overseeing El Helicoid and other detention facilities.
Foro Penal, a Venezuela-based prisoners’ rights organization, estimates that 711 people are being held in facilities across Venezuela for political activity. Of these, 183 people have been sentenced, the group said.
Foro President Alfredo Romero welcomed the planned pardon, but said it should apply to all prisoners “without discrimination”.
“A general amnesty is welcome as long as its elements and conditions include all members of civil society without discrimination, do not provide a cover for impunity, and contribute to the dismantling of repressive mechanisms of political persecution,” Romero said in a social media post.
Foro Penal estimates that approximately 302 prisoners have been released by the Rodriguez government following President Maduro’s abduction by the United States.
The organization later published a video clip on social media purporting to show the moment human rights activist Eduardo Torres, who had been detained since May 2025, was released from prison on Friday night.
Translation: @proveaong colleague Eduardo Torres has been released from prison. He is a human rights defender and former political prisoner.
Families and rights advocates have long demanded that charges and convictions against detainees, who are considered political prisoners, be dropped.
Although government officials deny holding political prisoners and claim those imprisoned committed crimes, they report that more than 600 people have been released from prison, although the timeline is unclear and appears to include prisoners released in the past few years.
