Venezuela says it has released 131 people considered political prisoners, in what the interim government describes as a major step towards national reconciliation following the removal and detention of former President Nicolás Maduro by the United States.
The government said on Friday that those released were granted “alternative measures from incarceration” under its Programme for Peace and Democratic Coexistence.
Opposition movement Vente Venezuela said it had independently verified the release of 43 detainees, while human rights group Foro Penal confirmed that at least 40 people had been freed.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who described the release as “a crucial step for the nation’s reconciliation process said more than 130 political prisoners were released recently, adding that 1,046 Venezuelans have been freed since January 3 that Maduro was overthrown and detained by the United States.
Venezuela is currently governed by Maduro’s former deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, amid significant political influence from Washington.
Emotional scenes were reported outside El Rodeo I prison in Guatire, about 50 kilometres east of Caracas, as former prisoners reunited with their families following their release.
Foro Penal said 17 women were among those freed on Friday, including a woman accused of involvement in an alleged assassination plot against Maduro.
The rights group had previously reported that 391 political prisoners remained in detention as of August 10, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing Venezuela’s reconciliation efforts.
