Venezuela frees several opposition members after politically motivated arrests – nationwide
Venezuela’s government on Sunday released from prison several prominent opposition members, including a close associate of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, after a long political prison sentence.
Their release comes as the government of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez faces growing pressure to release hundreds of people who have been detained in recent months or years for their political beliefs. They also follow the visit to Venezuela of representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“Today, we are being released,” said Juan Pablo Guanipa, Machado’s partner and former governor, in a video posted on X. “There is much to discuss about the present and the future of Venezuela, and the truth always comes first.”
Guanipa, who spent more than eight months in custody, was released from a detention facility in the capital, Caracas. An armored car and police were seen behind him in the video he released.
Venezuela-based prisoner rights group Foro Penal confirmed the release of at least 30 people on Sunday.
Besides Guanipa, Machado’s political party said several of its members were among those freed, including Maria Oropeza, who live-streamed her arrest by intelligence officers who broke into her home with a crowbar. Machado’s attorney, Perkins Rocha, has also been released.
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“Let’s go get the freedom of Venezuela!” Machado sent to X.
Guanipa was arrested in late May and accused by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello of participating in a “terrorist group” allegedly planning to boycott that month’s legislative elections. Guanipa’s brother, Tomás, denied that, saying the arrest was aimed at fighting opponents.
“Thinking differently cannot be made a crime in Venezuela, and today, Juan Pablo Guanipa is a prisoner of conscience for this regime,” said Tomás Guanipa after his arrest. “He has the right to think the way he thinks, he has the right to defend his views, and the right to be governed under a constitution that can be enforced today.”
Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s acting president after the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro in Caracas by US forces last month.
His government announced on January 8 that it would release a large number of prisoners – a major demand from the country’s opposition and US-backed human rights groups – but families and rights watchdogs have criticized the authorities for the slow pace of the releases.
The ruling party-controlled National Assembly this week began discussing an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners. Opposition parties and non-governmental organizations responded with positive observations and suggestions and demands for more information on the content of the proposal.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez on Friday posted a video on Instagram showing him outside a detention center in Caracas and saying “everyone” will be released within the next week, if the amnesty bill is approved.
Delcy Rodríguez and Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke by phone in late January. His spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, said in a statement that he “offered our support to help Venezuela work on the path of dialogue and reconciliation where human rights should be at the center” and “sent a delegation” to the South American country.
–Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
