Venezuelan authorities announced the release of over a hundred additional political prisoners amid pressure from the United States, while opposition and human rights groups claim the government's figures are inflated.
On Monday, 12 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Venezuelan officials revealed they had released 116 more political prisoners amid U.S. pressure, following a U.S. military operation that captured former President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas earlier that month.
However, opposition and human rights organizations claim the actual number of released political prisoners is lower than the government's figures. Counts by several NGOs indicate that only about 50 prisoners have been freed since Thursday.
The Venezuelan government stated last week it would release those imprisoned during Maduro's administration, mostly individuals who participated in protests following the 2024 elections, which were widely criticized as corrupt.
Since then, relatives of detainees have camped outside multiple prisons across Venezuela, growing increasingly anxious as those they await have not yet been released.
Over the past weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated the initial release of prisoners, expressing hope that those freed “will remember how fortunate they are that the United States stepped in and did what had to be done.”
Meanwhile, human rights groups estimate that approximately 800 to 1,200 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Venezuela.
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez is currently engaged in multiple negotiations with Washington, despite being a close ally of Maduro. The U.S. is seeking ways to benefit from Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
On Sunday, Trump stated he was open to meeting with Rodríguez and noted that his administration was coordinating with her government “very well.”
A U.S. diplomatic delegation recently visited Caracas on Friday, 9 Jan 2026 GMT+7, to discuss reopening the Venezuelan embassy in Washington after diplomatic ties were severed for seven years.
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Source:cna