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The Venezuelan regime released 99 political prisoners amid rising tension with the U.S. in recent weeks.
The release of those detained after the 2024 presidential elections was confirmed on Thursday by the Penitentiary Service of Venezuela, reported EFE.
According to the official statement, those arrested had participated in "acts of violence and incitement to hatred."
"The National Government and the justice system have decided to evaluate each case individually and grant precautionary measures in accordance with the law, which has allowed for the release of 99 citizens, as a concrete expression of the State's commitment to peace, dialogue, and justice," the statement reads.
Similarly, the note from Maduro's regime asserts that they guarantee "all prisoners a treatment based on respect, legality, and comprehensive care," despite the "imperialist siege and multilateral aggressions."
The releases began to be confirmed during the Christmas period by several NGOs. One of them, Foro Penal, reports 902 political prisoners in Venezuela, out of more than 2,400 who were detained during the protests following the electoral fraud.
Two days prior, on Tuesday, opposition leader María Corina Machado had reported that officials of Nicolás Maduro's regime issued direct and systematic threats of extrajudicial execution against political prisoners held in El Rodeo prison, east of Caracas.
"I have received information about threats of extrajudicial execution against political prisoners. These intimidations are crimes against humanity and serious violations of International Humanitarian Law," Machado wrote on his X account, warning that the Venezuelan state will be responsible for any physical or psychological harm suffered by the detainees.
Machado, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for his leadership in defending human rights in Latin America, stated that the inmates are in a state of hostage by the State.
Various organizations, such as Foro Penal and Amnesty International, have documented hundreds of cases of torture and disappearances in Venezuelan detention centers.
The statement comes amid a climate of maximum international tension following the launch of Operation Southern Lance, a military initiative by the U.S. Southern Command officially aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks, but perceived as a direct message to the Maduro regime.
The White House has warned that it closely monitors the repressive actions of chavismo and will respond to any state crime.
"The international community cannot look the other way. Lives are at risk today," insisted Machado, who urged the UN and the OAS to immediately activate protection mechanisms for Venezuelan political prisoners.
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