Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Wednesday that her government will continue releasing prisoners detained under former President Nicolás Maduro, calling it part of a “new political moment” since his ouster by the United States earlier this month.
Rodríguez opened her first press briefing since Maduro’s arrest with a conciliatory tone, pledging that the release process “has not yet concluded.” A Venezuelan human rights group estimates around 800 political prisoners remain detained.
The 56-year-old lawyer emphasised a “Venezuela that opens itself to a new political moment, that allows for ... political and ideological diversity,” signalling a shift from Maduro-era rhetoric.
Rodríguez warned that “crimes related to the constitutional order are being evaluated” and stressed strict enforcement of the law, sending a message that messages of hatred, intolerance, and violence would not be permitted.
Venezuelan politician and journalist Roland Carreno was one of those freed on Wednesday (14 January).
So far, 72 political prisoners have been released, according to rights group Foro Penal. Acting President Delcy Rodriquez said later on Wednesday that 406 people had been released, though it was unclear what time period she was referring to or whether those included planned releases.
"Crimes related to constitutional order, hate crimes, violence and intolerance are being evaluated (for planned releases)," Rodriguez told journalists.
Crimes such as homicide and drug trafficking will be excluded from eligibility, she added.
Many of those the opposition and rights groups consider to be political prisoners are accused of crimes such as treason and acts of violence, which they deny.
Those released include Spaniards, Americans and a Peruvian, according to each country's government. The U.S. State Department celebrated the move on Tuesday, but did not confirm how many Americans were released or their identities.
The release of political prisoners in the South American country is a long-running demand of rights groups, international bodies and opposition figures, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has several close allies imprisoned.
She was joined by her brother and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, as well as hard-line Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who she said is coordinating the prisoner releases. Critics have said the process is slow and secretive.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone attacks targeting their capitals early on Thursday, as U.S. envoys prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir P...
Armenia has been stripped of its voting rights in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) over unpaid membership fees, in an...
Investigators found a sticky note bearing the names and mobile phone numbers of four left-wing public figures while searching the home of the suspe...
Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for their first formal talks in nine months. They did so with no agreement on what a ceasefire would be tied to or who gets to keep the land currently under Russian control.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning at this year's COP31 summit, saying the climate crisis iss advancing faster than governments' efforts to contain it.
At least 17 people have been reported killed in an explosion at a steel plant in western Türkiye, after a crane collapsed during maintenance work. The disaster has prompted a criminal investigation into what went wrong at the industrial facility.
U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said Washington believes the Russian President is prepared to reach a peace agreement under the right conditions, as U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations began trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 10 November.
Armenia could lose its voting rights within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on 11 November after failing to pay membership fees for more than two years, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone attacks targeting their capitals early on Thursday, as U.S. envoys prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow following two days of peace talks that ended without a breakthrough on major issues.
Investigators found a sticky note bearing the names and mobile phone numbers of four left-wing public figures while searching the home of the suspect in last month’s deadly shooting near Paris, France’s national anti-terrorism prosecution office (PNAT) said on Wednesday.
The United States and China should have “no illusions” about their differences on artificial intelligence, even as they work together to manage the technology’s risks, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
Pope Leo arrived in Peru on Wednesday for an emotional homecoming, the first Peruvian citizen to lead the Catholic Church, after wrapping up a visit to Argentina that drew a record six million people over three days.
Iran will not let a single particle of its enriched nuclear material leave the country, and any new U.S. attack would be met with strikes on distant American bases, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei has said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment