Venezuela announces bill that could lead to mass release of prisoners detained for political reasons

Venezuela's acting President announces urgent bill for mass release of political prisoners, aiming to heal past confrontations.

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Friday (January 30, 2026) announced a bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners, including opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons.

The measure had long been sought by the United States-backed opposition. It is the latest concession Ms. Rodríguez has made since taking the reins of the country on January 3, 2026 after the brazen seizure of then-President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military attack in Venezuela's capital, Caracas.

Ms. Rodríguez told a gathering of Justices, Magistrates and others that the ruling party-controlled National Assembly would take up the bill with urgency.

“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation,” she added during the televised event.

The Venezuelan-based prisoners' rights group Foro Penal estimates that 677 people are in detention facilities across the South American country for their political activities.

Ms. Rodríguez's government earlier this month had announced plans to release a significant number of prisoners in a goodwill gesture, but relatives of those detained have condemned the slow pace of the releases.