Venezuela: Political prisoners expected to be released under pressure from Trump
Venezuelans are living in a state of cautious anticipation and anxious waiting, as hundreds of families hope that the authorities will fulfill their promises and release more political prisoners. This development comes as a direct result of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who on Friday announced the cancellation of a second planned military strike against Venezuela in response to Caracas's recent steps to release a number of detainees.
Context of US intervention and political transformation
These events come at an unprecedented turning point in relations between Washington and Caracas. While the Venezuelan government attempts to portray the current releases as a gesture of goodwill and peaceful coexistence, the United States maintains that these steps are a direct result of its decisive military intervention. This intervention culminated on January 3rd, when US special forces conducted a daring operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, plunging the country into a new and complex political reality.
While Venezuelans await a human rights breakthrough, the true number of those released remains unclear. Despite Venezuela's announcement of its intention to release a large number of prisoners, human rights activists and relatives of detainees maintain that only about 20 people have actually been freed—a small number compared to the hundreds still imprisoned for political reasons.
Maduro's fate and trial in New York
Internationally, attention is focused on Brooklyn, New York, where Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being held in a federal prison. They appeared in a US court last Monday, pleading not guilty to charges including drug trafficking, and are awaiting their next court appearance scheduled for March 17. In an attempt to reassure his supporters, Maduro's son released a video message from his father, published by the ruling party, in which he declared, "We are fine, we are fighters," indicating their continued defiance despite their detention.
Residents' sit-ins and human rights concerns
On the ground, the areas surrounding Venezuelan prisons have transformed into open-air protest sites. Relatives of detainees maintain a constant vigil day and night in front of the notorious El Helicoid prison, run by the intelligence services, and El Rodeo 1 prison in eastern Caracas. Field reports have documented poignant scenes of families lighting candles and holding up photos of their loved ones. These families have devised a system of rotations to ensure a continuous presence at the prison gates, hoping for any good news.
Human rights organizations are increasingly concerned by reports of deaths in detention centers. They condemned the death last Saturday of police officer Edison Jose Torres Fernandez, 52, who was being held on charges of treason for posting messages critical of the regime. Human rights statistics indicate that approximately 18 political prisoners have died in detention centers since 2014, further fueling concerns about the safety of those still detained.
It is worth noting that the protests that followed the announcement of Maduro’s victory in the 2024 elections led to the arrest of about 2,400 people. The opposition asserts that the current number of political prisoners ranges between 800 and 1,200, of whom only 21 have been released so far, making the path towards settling the detainees’ file still long and thorny.
