Key facts
- Venezuelan authorities released dozens of political prisoners on Saturday morning.
- Among those released was Wilder Vasquez, sentenced in 2018 for allegedly plotting to kill former President Nicolás Maduro.
- Miguel Castillo Cedeño, arbitrarily detained since June 2019, was also released.
- Frank Cabañas, held for nine years over alleged links to a police officer's death, was released.
- Interim President Delcy Rodriguez met with US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly.
- Rodriguez's government has not officially commented on the latest prisoner releases.
Venezuelan authorities released a number of political prisoners early Saturday morning, according to human rights groups, days after interim President Delcy Rodriguez met with US President Donald Trump in New York. Among those freed was Wilder Vasquez, who had been sentenced to five years in 2018 for allegedly plotting to kill former President Nicolás Maduro.
Opposition figures have renewed their calls for free elections following Rodriguez's meeting with Trump at the UN General Assembly. Her administration had previously released hundreds of prisoners as part of a reconciliation effort, but these releases had slowed significantly in April.
Foro Penal, a human rights group, confirmed the release of Miguel Castillo Cedeño, who had been arbitrarily detained since June 2019, and Frank Cabañas, who had been imprisoned for nine years. The group stated that a "significant number" of political prisoners were released from various detention centers.
Rodriguez has sought to present her interim government as more tolerant of dissent while seeking favor with the US, with the prisoner release program being a key concession. However, the halt in the program drew criticism from opposition and rights groups, who noted that less than half of the nation's political prisoners had been released.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello described Rodriguez's meeting with Trump as a "great triumph of the diplomacy of peace." However, some opposition voices, like former oil executive Pedro Mario Burelli, criticized the meeting, viewing it as a snub to their calls for swift elections. Venezuela's last elections in 2024 were widely disputed as rigged, with opposition tallies suggesting their candidate won by 70% of the vote.