Venezuela Offers Amnesty to Hundreds of Political Detainees

Venezuela’s Acting President Signs Amnesty Bill, Estimates Over 600 Political Detainees Remain in Custody

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez has signed an amnesty bill into law, which could lead to the release of hundreds of politicians, activists, and lawyers who have been detained for their involvement in protests and demonstrations over the past two decades. The law, effective immediately, provides amnesty for individuals involved in “violent actions” during a brief coup in 2002 and during certain months of demonstrations or elections since 2004.

According to estimates by Venezuela-based prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal, more than 600 people remain in custody for political reasons, with 448 having been released since January 8. The law does not detail the exact crimes eligible for amnesty, but a previous draft outlined several, including instigation of illegal activity and resistance to authorities.

The new law reverses decades of denials by the government regarding the presence of political detainees in jail. Families of those detained have gathered outside detention centers for weeks, awaiting news of their loved ones’ release. The law also does not return assets of those detained, revoke public office bans given for political reasons, or cancel sanctions against media outlets.

The bill was signed on Thursday and has been met with mixed reactions from opposition members. Some, including opposition politician Nora Bracho, have praised the law as a “great step forward for reconciliation.” However, others, such as Pedro Urruchurtu, have criticized the law, stating that it is not a true amnesty but rather a means to buy time and revictimize those persecuted.

The US has been monitoring the situation in Venezuela, with President Donald Trump praising Rodriguez’s actions following her abduction. The US has also made concessions to Rodriguez, including freezing oil shipments to Cuba and supporting a law to open the state-controlled oil industry to foreign companies.

Source: Al Jazeera