131 More Political Prisoners Freed Under "Peace and Democratic Coexistence" Program

Venezuela's interim government announced on August 14–15 that 131 more people it classifies as political prisoners had their sentences replaced with "alternative measures" and were released outside the El Rodeo I prison in Guatire, roughly 50 km east of Caracas, under the government's Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence — the largest single-day figure since the transition talks with the opposition began. The government put the cumulative total released since Maduro's January 3 capture at 1,046, while independent verification came in lower and split: opposition movement Vente Venezuela confirmed 43 releases and rights group Foro Penal counted "at least 40," continuing a pattern of discrepancy between official and independently verified figures seen throughout 2026. Foro Penal separately estimated 391 political prisoners remained detained as of August 10. Most of those freed received alternative detention measures rather than full freedom and must still appear in court periodically; among the 17 women released was one previously accused of participating in a 2018 drone-bomb assassination plot against Maduro. A follow-up report on August 17 profiled released prisoner Emirlendris Benítez, held eight years over the same 2018 drone case, who described being beaten, kicked and asphyxiated with a bag over her head, and now uses a wheelchair from her injuries — one of nearly 80 additional releases reported that week. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the releases "a crucial step for the nation's reconciliation process," while opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa called it "an immense relief" for families but demanded all prisoners be freed "without exception, without delay, and promptly."