Protesters marched in dueling demonstrations in Venezuela’s capital Caracas as Congress considered a bill granting amnesty to political prisoners.
Thursday’s demonstration marked Venezuela’s National Youth Day and was the first major demonstration against the government of interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
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He has led Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro since the United States abducted him in January.
Her government called on its supporters to flood the streets with counter-demonstrations, and both rallies drew thousands.
The defiance comes as Congress is debating a landmark bill that would grant amnesty to political prisoners held under Maduro’s regime.
The final vote on the bill has been postponed, although government announcements indicated it was expected to be passed this week.
Rodriguez has overseen the release of hundreds of political prisoners since taking office, seen as one of several concessions to President Donald Trump’s administration.
Other moves include cutting off oil supplies from Venezuela to Cuba and passing legislation to open the national oil industry to more foreign companies.
Amnesty for political prisoners has long been a central demand of opposition groups and human rights groups.
But critics have raised concerns about how the bill would be enforced if passed and who would be eligible for release. The bill has not yet received a public reading.
Rodriguez announced the amnesty bill last month, saying it aimed to “heal the wounds left by political conflicts fueled by violence and extremism.”
She said it covers what she called “the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present.”
The amnesty bill targets crimes of treason, terrorism and spreading hatred that have been used to imprison dissidents over the past two decades.
Media reports about the bill say it does not apply to those convicted of murder, drug trafficking, corruption or human rights violations.
Alex Nebe, a member of the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission in Venezuela, said earlier this week that the bill “offers an opportunity to provide justice and alleviate suffering for the many people illegally detained for political reasons in Venezuela.”
But Mr Neve said transparency was essential and civil society organizations “must be at the heart of this process”.
Human rights groups are already questioning the Rodriguez government’s efforts to release political prisoners.
Venezuela-based human rights group Foro Penal confirmed that at least 431 people had been released, but this number is lower than the government’s figure.
According to Foro Penal statistics, more than 600 political prisoners are currently being held.
Critics also point to the case of opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa, who was recently released but placed under house arrest.
Surveillance surrounding elections
Still, the amnesty bill has been hailed as a breakthrough for a country that until recently denied the existence of any political prisoners.
The bill would also lift bans on several opposition leaders from running for office, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Colina Machado.
Maduro’s government has been accused of using state violence, including forced disappearances and torture, to suppress opposition groups.
Most recently, Maduro faced accusations of election fraud when he controversially claimed a third term as president in 2024.
Machado had been selected as the opposition coalition’s candidate for the 2024 election, but like her successor, Corinna Joris, was banned from running just months before the vote.
Eventually Edmundo Gonzalez assumed the role of opposition candidate. The opposition claims Mr. Gonzalez is the legitimate winner of the election, a position supported by independent experts.
On Monday, the president’s brother, Congress leader Jorge Rodriguez, ruled out holding new presidential elections for the time being, telling US media outlet Newsmax that “stabilization” must first be achieved.
The Trump administration also rejected pressure for new elections in Venezuela, despite Machado’s insistence that the opposition has a “mission” to govern.
President Trump denies role of oil barons
Also on Thursday, President Trump denied on his Truth Social account that US oil tycoon Harry III had the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Venezuelan regime.
“He has no authority to act on behalf of the United States in any way or form, nor does anyone else who is not authorized by the Department of State. Without this authorization, no one has authority to represent our country,” Trump wrote.
The post appeared to be in response to media reports that Sargent was advising the U.S. government on how to gain access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, a top priority for Trump.
Sargent, who has long ties to the Venezuelan oil industry, is a Republican donor and plays golf with President Trump.
Trump added in his post that his administration is “working very well” with the Rodriguez-led government.
“The relationship between Venezuela and the United States is extraordinary to say the least!” Trump said in the post.
“But we’re only talking about ourselves and we don’t want there to be any confusion or misunderstanding.”
On Wednesday, President Trump’s Energy Secretary Chris Wright met with Rodriguez in Caracas and touted cooperation on oil production.
This is the first visit to the country by a member of the Trump administration.
