Venezuela Releases 104 Political Prisoners Amidst Leadership Transition

In the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, a significant wave of releases occurred on January 25, 2026, involving at least 104 individuals recognized by human rights advocates as political prisoners. The non-governmental organization Foro Penal has been actively verifying these figures. Alfredo Romero, the organization's director, initially reported 80 releases on the social media platform X before updating the count to reflect the broader scale of the event. Meanwhile, Gonzalo Himiob, a prominent lawyer within the group, emphasized that the current tally is not final and remains subject to further adjustment as more data becomes available through their verification network.

This development unfolds against a backdrop of intense political upheaval that began on January 3, 2026, following a United States military operation that resulted in the removal of President Nicolás Maduro to the U.S. Shortly thereafter, on January 5, 2026, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice swore in Delcy Rodríguez as the nation's interim president. The Rodríguez administration has since claimed that 626 political detainees have been freed since December 2025 as part of a broader strategy to stabilize the country. However, Foro Penal has challenged these official statistics, confirming only about half of the government's reported figures for that same period.

The pace of prisoner releases notably accelerated starting January 8, a shift that coincided with mounting diplomatic pressure from Washington. Among those granted freedom since the beginning of January are several high-profile opposition figures, including Enrique Márquez, a former candidate in the 2024 presidential elections. The releases also included five Spanish nationals, reflecting the international dimensions of the detentions. Despite these steps, several key opposition leaders, such as Freddy Superlano and Juan Pablo Guanipa, remain in custody. One confirmed release within this latest wave is Kennedy Tejeda, a volunteer attorney for Foro Penal who had been held at the Tocoron prison since August 2024.

Interim President Rodríguez is currently attempting to navigate a complex balance between domestic stability and international relations. She has already announced new oil agreements with the United States and initiated a series of legislative reforms intended to modernize the state apparatus. During a recent address to oil workers in Puerto la Cruz, Rodríguez sought to project an image of independence, asserting that her government would prioritize internal dialogue over "orders from Washington." She emphasized that any resolution of differences with the U.S. would be handled through what she termed "Bolivarian diplomacy." This diplomatic outreach was highlighted by a "long, productive, and detailed" telephone conversation between Rodríguez and U.S. President Donald Trump on January 15.

International perspectives on the situation remain varied, with Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, the Russian Ambassador to Venezuela, suggesting the possibility of Nicolás Maduro’s future repatriation while noting the extreme fluidity of the current political landscape. At the same time, human rights organizations are calling for absolute transparency, demanding that the interim government publish official lists of those released. The verification process has proven slow and difficult; for instance, the organization Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón (JEP) had only confirmed 174 releases by the time Rodríguez announced the figure of 626, highlighting a significant gap in official reporting.

As of January 19, 2026, data from Foro Penal indicated that 777 political prisoners still remained behind bars across the country. The current trend suggests a calculated strategic maneuver by the new leadership aimed at cooling internal political tensions and easing international sanctions. However, the significant discrepancies between government claims and independent human rights data highlight the ongoing challenges in achieving a transparent and comprehensive resolution to the crisis of political detention in Venezuela. The international community continues to monitor these developments closely as the country transitions under the interim presidency.