MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez announces proposed general amnesty for political prisoners

The announcement comes after weeks of incremental releases following Maduro’s removal from power earlier in January

Delcy Rodríguez said on Friday she will push a “general amnesty law” covering political prisoners and instructed that the draft be sent to the Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela, where it is expected to be debated and approved next week. The announcement was delivered at an event held at Tribunal Supremo de Justicia de Venezuela, as reported by El País.

“I am announcing a general amnesty law and I am instructing that this law be brought before the National Assembly to promote peaceful coexistence in Venezuela,” Rodríguez said, as quoted in the reports. She also urged Venezuelans to reject “violence or revenge” and said the decision had been discussed with Nicolás Maduro.

The move, as described, would aim to erase criminal cases for those covered and expand beyond recent releases that did not always amount to full freedom. Some detainees freed in recent weeks remained under precautionary restrictions, including travel bans and limits on public statements—measures families and lawyers argue leave former prisoners vulnerable to re-detention and pressure. Rodríguez said the draft would exclude serious common crimes such as homicide and drug trafficking.

Rodríguez also announced plans to repurpose El Helicoide—a detention complex long associated with state security services—into a community site offering social and sports services, and pledged a new push against corruption within the justice system, according to the same account.

The announcement comes after weeks of incremental releases following Maduro’s removal from power earlier in January. Associated Press reported that Rodríguez, in one of her first public briefings after the change, vowed to continue freeing detainees while rights advocates called for transparency, due-process guarantees and published lists of beneficiaries.

While Venezuela has used selective pardons in recent years—most notably in 2020—a broad amnesty would represent a larger legal step with wider judicial consequences. Recurring gaps between official government claims about the number of people released and figures verified by independent observers, reinforcing demands for verifiable lists and external monitoring.

In the final accounting most frequently referenced by families and defense teams, Foro Penal has reported hundreds of releases since early January and said hundreds more political prisoners remain in custody, alongside thousands under judicial restrictions.