‘Hope for Freedom’: Venezuela Grants Amnesty to 379 Political Prisoners After Maduro’s Fall

Venezuelan authorities have granted amnesty to 379 political prisoners, a lawmaker confirmed last week, as the country’s interim government moves to release those detained under the regime of former leader Nicolás Maduro.

The National Assembly unanimously adopted the amnesty law a day before the announcement, raising hopes that hundreds behind bars would soon be freed. The legislation follows the US toppling of Maduro, who was seized in a deadly raid and is now in US custody.

The Releases

National Assembly deputy Jorge Arreaza, overseeing the amnesty process, said in a televised interview on Friday that the 379 prisoners “must be released, granted amnesty, between tonight and tomorrow morning.”

“Requests have been submitted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to the competent courts to grant amnesty measures,” he said.

Families Wait and Hope

Outside the Rodeo 1 prison near Caracas, families have waited for weeks for word of their loved ones’ release.

Hiowanka Avila, 39, whose brother Henryberth Rivas was arrested in 2018 over an alleged drone assassination attempt against Maduro, expressed frustration. “Many of us are aware that the amnesty law does not cover our relatives,” she said.

Arreaza acknowledged that cases involving members of the armed forces would be handled separately. “The military justice system will handle relevant cases and grant benefits where appropriate.”

What the Law CoversAnd What It Doesn’t

The amnesty law has drawn criticism from opposition figures for excluding certain offences previously used to target Maduro’s opponents.

It explicitly does not apply to those prosecuted for “promoting” or “facilitating… armed or forceful actions” against Venezuela’s sovereignty by foreign actors. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has levelled such accusations against opposition leader María Corina Machado, who remains in the US.

The law also excludes members of the security forces convicted of “terrorism”-related activities.

A Process, Not an Automatic Release

Alfredo Romero, director of the NGO Foro Penal, which tracks political detentions, cautioned that receiving amnesty “is not automatic.” It requires a process in the courtsinstitutions many view as having been arms of Maduro’s repression.

Before the announcement, Foro Penal had counted some 650 political detainees. That toll has not been updated since.

Government Defends the Move

In a speech, Interim President Rodríguez defended the amnesty, saying, “We are building a more democratic, more just, and freer Venezuela, and it must be with the effort of everyone.”

Shortly after the bill was passed, opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa, an ally of Machado, announced his release from detentiona sign that the process is already underway.

The Road Ahead

For the 379 prisoners covered by the amnesty, freedom is now a legal formality away. For their families, the waiting continues. And for the hundreds not covered, the fight for release is far from over.

Venezuela’s transition is only beginning. The amnesty is a first stepa signal that the era of political imprisonment may be ending. But for a country scarred by years of repression, trust will take longer to build than laws take to pass.