A group of university students from the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) confronted interim president Delcy Rodríguez this Tuesday during a public event in Caracas, demanding the immediate release of all the political prisoners in the country.
The moment was captured in several videos shared on social media, where young people are seen intercepting Rodríguez and chanting: “Free them all!”.
The scene generated significant national and international impact due to the unusual nature of the direct challenge to a figure of chavismo amid the political transition that Venezuela is undergoing: "A month ago, this was unthinkable," they point out on social media.
"The mothers are outside the prisons suffering, President. Free them all", shouted one of the students, according to the record shared by activist Agustín Antonetti, director of the NGO Fundación Libertad.
In response, Rodríguez simply said: “Stop lying and manipulating. That has cost the country dearly; we faced a military intervention,” before leaving under escort.
The interim leader has been subjected to increasing pressure from civil organizations and the families of political prisoners demanding measures for amnesty and justice.
The incident occurs just one day after the announcement of the unlocking of Venezuelan assets in the United States, the result of the dialogue between Rodríguez and President Donald Trump.
The students demanded that those funds be allocated for policies of freedom and national reconciliation, rather than to reinforce the structures of the old regime.
According to the NGO Foro Penal, more than 210 political prisoners remain in Venezuela, including military personnel, activists, journalists, and opposition members detained during the protests of 2024 and 2025. Despite promises of judicial review, the process of liberation is progressing slowly.
The confrontation this Tuesday reflects a new political climate in Venezuela, where youth and academic sectors are beginning to openly express their demands following the fall of Maduro's regime and the start of a dialogue phase with the United States.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado expressed on her X account that "In people's lives and in the history of nations, there are actions whose significance is not evident at first, and over time their impact is appreciated…Bravo to our students; challenging and brave defenders of TRUTH and FREEDOM."
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