María Corina Machado appeared this Friday in the vicinity of the prison El Rodeo I, in the state of Miranda, Venezuela, to meet with family members of political prisoners and send a direct message to the inmates from an elevated area near the penitentiary, known as "the mountain."
The moment was captured on video and shared by journalist Gabriel Bastidas on the social network X. In the recording, the opposition leader addresses the detainees with an emotional message: "I am here with you, you are not alone. Freedom for all political prisoners. Justice for the victims. Redress for the families. Remembrance so it never happens again. Guarantees for justice and freedom. With God by our side, until the end. Venezuela will be free forever."
From inside the prison, the inmates responded with shouts of their slogan: "Justice and freedom!"
During the event, Machado read the names of approximately 400 political prisoners and noted that their cases amount to 1,756 years of imprisonment, not including all the detainees, missing persons, and victims of torture. He also stated that 23 political prisoners have died in custody since 2015.
"We will not rest until the last political prisoner, both civilian and military, achieves full freedom," declared the opposition leader in front of the gathered families outside the prison.
The visit comes just twelve days after Machado publicly returned to Venezuela on October 25, after months of operating in secrecy, as part of the negotiation process backed by Washington.
El Rodeo I is described by human rights organizations, former detainees, and families as a torture center: cells of approximately two by two meters, up to 23 hours of daily confinement, scarce food, restricted access to water and medication, and practices such as the so-called "time capsule," a tiny cell where inmates are kept standing, blindfolded, and handcuffed.
In front of that prison, relatives of the detainees set up the "Camp of Dignity" on January 8, 2026, following the announcement of releases by the Chavista regime. The camp marked 300 days of continuous vigil this past Tuesday, with over 100 participating relatives.
The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (Clippve) attributes the release of nearly 100 inmates from the prison and the restoration of in-person visits to this sustained pressure. Despite this, according to data from Foro Penal collected by NTN24, more than 300 political prisoners remained in Venezuela this Friday, 68 of them in El Rodeo I.
The Vente Venezuela party had called for a national mobilization on October 19 demanding the release of political prisoners, citing the same figure of 322 detainees according to Foro Penal.
"The arrival of María Corina is hope for us, the families of political prisoners," said Alida Hernández, a relative of one of the inmates, in statements collected by NTN24.
Filed under: