MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Caracas releases 71 political prisoners

Sixty-five men were released from the Tocorón prison

Venezuela's Bolivarian regime released on Thursday 71 political prisoners who had been detained during the wave of protests following the controversial July 2024 presidential elections, which Nicolás Maduro claimed to have won despite producing no supporting evidence.

Thursday's move, confirmed by human rights organizations and family committees, is regarded as a strategic gesture aimed at mitigating international condemnation.

The Committee of Mothers in Defense of the Truth and Foro Penal confirmed that the releases took place at the Tocorón high-security facility southwest of Caracas, from where 65 men were released, in addition to three women from the Las Crisálidas Prison for female offenders, plus three teenagers from a juvenile detention center in La Guaira.

“This news fills our hearts with joy, but it is an important yet insufficient achievement,” the Committee of Mothers stated, emphasizing that hundreds of protesters remain behind bars.

Human rights groups, including the Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (CLIPPVE), characterized the releases as a “symbolic drop in the ocean.” According to the latest data from the NGO Foro Penal, as of December 15, 2025, there were still 902 confirmed political prisoners in Venezuela.

The opposition maintains that these detainees are “hostages” used by the government as bargaining chips in negotiations with the international community. Rights advocates are calling for a General Amnesty Law to immediately vacate the sentences of all citizens detained during the post-election crisis.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner of the July 28, 2024, election with 6.4 million votes. However, the opposition, led by Edmundo González Urrutia, published tally sheets suggesting a landslide victory for the opposition with over 7 million votes.

The United States, the European Union, and the OAS have recognized González as the president-elect, citing “credible evidence” of fraud.

The releases coincide with a heightened US naval presence in the Caribbean and a blockade aimed at curbing Venezuelan oil exports, leading some to interpret the move as an attempt to “appease” Washington.

The Maduro administration has not officially commented on the latest round of releases. The Attorney General’s Office continues to maintain its official narrative, denying the existence of “political prisoners.” Authorities insist that those detained were prosecuted for “serious punishable acts,” including terrorism and street violence, rather than their political ideology.