Venezuela plans amnesty law for political prisoners and closure of notorious prison
By Anabella González, Michael Rios
(CNN) — Venezuela’s acting president has announced a proposed amnesty law that could lead to the release of hundreds of political prisoners, as well as the closure of a notorious detention center, in her latest concessions since the US capture of President Nicolas Maduro.
Delcy Rodríguez said Friday that the amnesty would apply to cases from 1999 to the present, but would exclude those prosecuted for homicide, drug trafficking, corruption and human rights violations.
She said she had instructed a judicial commission to present the law to the National Assembly.
“I again ask for the full cooperation of the Venezuelan legislature so that this law may serve to heal the wounds left by political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism, to restore justice in our country, and to foster peaceful coexistence among Venezuelans,” she said.
Rodríguez also announced that the government has decided to close El Helicoide, Venezuela’s most feared prison, and transform it into a social and sports services center for the community.
The announcements were made on the same day US authorities said Venezuela had released all known US citizens held in the country.
The US has been calling for the release of all political prisoners in Venezuela. It is among a number of demands made by the Trump administration, which in the wake of the capture of Maduro believes it has the economic and military leverage to force Rodríguez and her government to cooperate.
Venezuela announced earlier this month that it would release “a significant number” of political prisoners as a peace gesture to the US. At least 302 people have been released as of Thursday, according to the organization Foro Penal, though its tally is far lower than the more than 800 reported by authorities.
Rodríguez previously said that she would contact the United Nations High Commissioner’s office to verify the list of those released, but so far the government has not publicly presented an official list with the detainees’ identities.
Alfredo Romero, head of Foro Penal, said on X that an amnesty “is welcome as long as its elements and conditions include all of civil society, without discrimination, that it does not become a cloak of impunity and that it contributes to the dismantling of the repressive apparatus of political persecution.”
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