January 14, 2026
By Micah Jonah
Venezuela’s top lawmaker has claimed that more than 400 prisoners have been released from detention, a statement that directly contradicts reports by local and international human rights groups who say only between 60 and 70 detainees have been freed in recent days.
Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, made the announcement during a parliamentary session on Tuesday, saying the releases were part of recent government decisions following political tensions in the country.
Rodriguez insisted that those released were not political prisoners but individuals he described as politicians who violated the constitution and called for foreign intervention.
“The decision to release some prisoners, not political prisoners, but some politicians who had broken the law, violated the Constitution, people who called for invasion, was granted,” Rodriguez told lawmakers.
He said more than 400 people had been released but did not provide a clear timeline or a full list of those freed.
The announcement comes amid sustained pressure from families, opposition figures and international organisations calling for the release of people detained after protests linked to Venezuela’s disputed 2024 presidential election.
Human rights organizations estimate that between 800 and 1,200 political prisoners remain in detention and have criticized what they describe as a slow and opaque release process. They say only about 60 to 70 detainees have been freed since last week.
The Venezuelan government, however, maintains that it does not hold people for political reasons, claims that most of the roughly 2,000 people detained after the protests have already been released.
Bloomberg News reported that at least one United States citizen was released from a Venezuelan prison on Tuesday. Separately, Venezuela’s Ministry of Penitentiary Services said at least 116 prisoners were released on Monday.
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado has been one of the most vocal figures demanding the release of detainees, many of whom are her political allies. She is expected to meet with United States President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday.
On the same day, acting Venezuelan President, Delcy Rodriguez is expected to send an envoy to the US capital to meet with senior American officials, according to reports.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high as the United States continues to assert control over Venezuela’s oil exports following the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.
US authorities have reportedly filed court applications to seize additional tanker vessels linked to Venezuelan oil shipments. In recent weeks, US forces have seized several vessels in international waters that were either transporting Venezuelan oil or had done so previously.
President Trump had imposed a naval blockade in December to prevent sanctioned tankers from exporting Venezuelan oil, a move that pushed the country’s oil exports close to a halt.
Although shipments have now resumed under US supervision, the Trump administration has said it plans to maintain long term control over Venezuela’s oil resources as part of its broader strategy towards the country.
