Venezuela Announces Plans to Release 300 Detainees, Including Political Prisoners

On May 19, 2026, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced that Venezuela planned to release approximately 300 people that week — including some whose detentions human rights organizations classify as politically motivated. The announcement came amid sustained US pressure following President Trump's May 12 pledge to secure the release of all remaining Venezuelan political prisoners before departing for a China summit. Rodríguez framed the releases as continued implementation of Venezuela's Amnesty Law, which the National Assembly passed in February 2026 and which the government claims has benefited over 8,600 individuals. However, human rights organization Foro Penal had verified only approximately 768 actual releases since January 8, 2026, and estimated 454–477 confirmed political prisoners still remained detained as of late April — far below the government's claimed figures. The 300-person batch, if fully implemented as announced, would represent the single largest prisoner release since the Amnesty Law's passage. Rights groups cautioned that previously released prisoners have faced conditions including mandatory monthly check-ins with security forces and prohibitions on public speech, constituting a form of conditional freedom rather than full rehabilitation. Political prisoner Víctor Hugo Quero was reported to have died in custody in May 2026, drawing renewed criticism over conditions and accountability in Venezuela's detention system.