Venezuela’s government said it has released more than 100 detainees described as political prisoners, marking an expansion of a limited release process that began days after United States forces abducted President Nicolás Maduro and transferred him to custody in New York on drug trafficking charges.
Officials framed the move as part of a controlled legal process, while rights groups and opposition figures said the pace and scope remain far short of what is required.
The Ministry of Penitentiary Services said on Monday that at least 116 people had been freed in recent hours, following an earlier batch of releases that began last Thursday.
The ministry said those released had been detained for acts linked to “disrupting the constitutional order and undermining the stability of the nation.”
Two Italian citizens were among those freed, prompting Italy’s foreign minister to pledge improved relations with Caracas, even as dozens of dual Italian-Venezuelan nationals remain imprisoned.
Foro Penal, a Venezuelan legal aid group, disputed the government’s figures, saying only 41 political prisoners had been released as of Monday morning.
Human rights organizations estimate that between 800 and 1,200 political prisoners remain in detention, many held since crackdowns following the 2024 presidential election.
The releases followed pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Washington was “in charge” of Venezuela after the January 3 military operation that removed Maduro.
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has made the release of detainees a central demand, saying, “We will not rest until all political prisoners are freed.”
On Monday, Machado met privately with Pope Leo XIV, days after the pontiff called for respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty and the protection of civil and human rights.
The political landscape has shifted sharply since Maduro’s removal, with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez installed as interim president despite long-standing opposition plans to form an alternative government.
Former detainees, including ex-presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, have been freed under conditions that leave charges in place and restrict public comment.
Rights advocates warn that without dismantling security structures tied to past abuses, the releases could be reversible, prolonging uncertainty for hundreds of families still waiting outside Venezuela’s prisons.