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Families of political prisoners in Venezuela publicly expressed their distrust of the release numbers announced by the government last Saturday, after the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, stated that 395 people had been freed that week and that the total would reach 500 "in the coming hours."
The main complaint from relatives is the absence of an official list containing the names of the beneficiaries, which prevents any independent verification of the process.
Hiowanka Ávila, sister of Henryberth Rivas —detained since 2018 for an alleged attempt at assassination— was one of the most critical voices during a day of gathering supplies at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), organized to support the families who have been standing outside El Rodeo I prison, on the outskirts of Caracas, since January.
"We do not trust the figures they provide. We have been requesting for many months that they publish the names of the people they have released to ensure a transparent process," Ávila declared to the news agency EFE.
The figures verified by independent organizations drastically contrast with those of the government. The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (Clipp), which Ávila is part of, confirmed only 43 releases in the same week that the government announced 395.
Foro Penal reported 38 verified releases since May 18, and counted 429 political prisoners still detained as of May 19, according to their own records.
This gap between official figures and independent ones is not new. The government claimed that more than 8,600 people benefited from the amnesty, but Foro Penal explained that the authorities include non-custodial measures which the organization does not count as effective releases.
The frustration among family members was also expressed by Ruth Molero, 57, who recalled that dozens of families have been waiting for results for over four months since the first government announcement on January 8.
"We are already desperate, anxious, and quite overwhelmed by this situation," stated Molero.
The process of releases began formally days after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3. The Supreme Court declared a "forced absence" and sworn in Rodríguez as acting president on January 5, under whose leadership a Law of Amnesty for Democratic Coexistence was promoted, approved by the National Assembly on February 19.
However, human rights organizations criticized the regulation for excluding crimes against humanity, war crimes, and armed actions, leaving hundreds of political prisoners unaddressed.
Foro Penal has documented 19,087 political detentions in Venezuela since 2014, illustrating the historical magnitude of a crisis that official announcements, according to the families themselves, fail to transparently reflect.
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