MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

More than 800 political prisoners remain jailed as Venezuela signals partial openness

Vigil by the families of political prisoners at Rodeo I.

The Venezuelan interim government of caretaker President Delcy Rodríguez has allowed some relatives to visit political prisoners still held by Caracas at the Rodeo I detention facility. Among them is Argentine Border Guard (Gendarmería Nacional) NCO Nahuel Gallo, about whom nothing concrete has been heard.

Gallo was detained on Dec. 8, 2024, while attempting to enter Venezuela by land from Colombia to visit his partner, María Gómez, and their two-year-old son. Bolivarian forces arrested him at the border on espionage charges after a search of his cell phone. Gallo’s mother-in-law has been waiting outside the prison for days.

Former Gallo's cellmate Iván Colmenares, a Colombian lawyer recently released, described the conditions as “precarious and unsanitary,” noting that the Argentine law enforcement agent was often “confused and sad” due to the lack of judicial guarantees.

As it is, the current administration typically notifies families only minutes before a prisoner is set free. Human rights organizations estimate that over 800 people remain in custody for political reasons.

Argentine officials have labeled Gallo’s detention as “illegal” and “unjust,” with Senator Patricia Bullrich recently stating, “We want Nahuel Gallo and Germán Giuliani back home.”

While US President Donald Trump has praised the interim government's willingness to “cooperate,” he remains skeptical of the country’s stability, recently remarking that Venezuela is not yet “ready for elections.”

In this scenario, authorities both in Washington and Buenos Aires have advised their nationals on Venezuelan ground to leave at the earliest, particularly now that some air routes have become available, such as Copa's service to Panama City.

The US State Department issued a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory on Jan. 10 with an addendum: “Depart Immediately.”

Other routes available are Bogotá (BOG) and Santo Domingo (SDQ), in addition to services to Europe from nearby Curaçao and Aruba.

Chavista vigilante groups known as “colectivos” in Venezuela are reportedly searching vehicles for evidence of US citizenship in revenge for Nicolás Maduro's capture. Additionally, Caracas' Simón Bolívar International Airport remains “dangerous,” with reports of kidnappings targeting foreigners perceived to have foreign currency.