In a significant development following the unprecedented capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. authorities, the Venezuelan government has announced the release of 116 prisoners. The Penitentiary Services Ministry confirmed these releases occurred “in the past few hours” on Thursday, though the exact timing relative to Maduro’s court appearance in New York on drug trafficking charges remains unclear.
The announcement comes amid intense scrutiny from human rights organizations, with Foro Penal—a group monitoring political detentions in Venezuela—directly contradicting the government’s figures. The organization maintains only 41 individuals have actually been freed, highlighting the ongoing information war surrounding Venezuela’s political crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump immediately claimed credit for the prisoner releases through social media, characterizing them as a direct consequence of American intervention. “Venezuela has started the process, in a big WAY, of releasing their political prisoners. Thank you!” Trump posted, adding a veiled warning that former prisoners should remember their liberation resulted from U.S. actions.
The releases follow intensified pressure from Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader María Corina Machado, alongside various human rights organizations. These groups contend that many detainees were imprisoned not for criminal activities but for expressing dissent, participating in protests, or sharing political opinions contrary to the government’s stance.
Despite these releases, human rights advocates estimate between 800 and 1,200 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Venezuela, indicating this initial gesture addresses only a fraction of the ongoing human rights concerns within the country.