Venezuela releases dozens of political prisoners as election calls grow

What the report says

Venezuelan authorities have released a number of political prisoners, according to human rights groups cited by BBC World News, in a move that came days after interim President Delcy Rodriguez met US President Donald Trump in New York. The releases reportedly began early on Saturday and included several people held for years on charges or allegations linked to anti-government activity.

Among those named were Wilder Vasquez, who had been serving a five-year sentence, Miguel Castillo Cedeño, whom rights group Foro Penal said had been detained since 2019, and Frank Cabañas, who had been jailed for nearly a decade. Foro Penal said a significant number of prisoners were freed from different detention centres, while also noting that Venezuela’s government had not formally explained the latest releases.

The developments come amid renewed opposition calls for free elections and criticism of the interim administration’s handling of political detention. BBC reported that the prisoner-release initiative had previously been presented as part of a reconciliation effort, but had slowed in recent months and was later described by Rodriguez as nearing an end. Rights groups and opposition figures have argued that political imprisonment has long been used to suppress dissent, while government figures continue to deny that critics are being jailed for political reasons.

The issue matters because it intersects with wider questions about Venezuela’s political transition, relations with Washington and the prospect of future elections, which Rodriguez again said would take place without giving a date.