The releases took place in different detention centers and are part of a limited process announced by Chavismo under pressure from the US
Nuevo
Agregar La Derecha Diario en
Compartir:
At least 33 political prisoners were released this Sunday in Venezuela, according to confirmation by the non-governmental organization Foro Penal, in one of the largest releases recorded in a single day since the Chavista regime announced a process to review detentions on January 8.
"344 political prisoners released and verified by Foro Penal since January 8, 2026. Thirty-three (33) today", reported Alfredo Romero, director of the NGO, through his official channels.
The releases took place in different detention centers in the country, including the headquarters of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin) in El Helicoide, one of the main symbols of political repression by Chavismo.
Partial releases under regime control
According to preliminary records by Foro Penal, those released include political leaders, regional activists, human rights defenders, and citizens with dual nationality, in a process that continues to be administered in a discretionary manner by Nicolás Maduro's regime.
The NGO clarified that verifications are ongoing, since the releases are being carried out in stages and, in many cases, families receive informal notifications shortly before the transfer of detainees out of the detention centers.
Javier Tarazona, one of the emblematic cases
Among those released is Javier Tarazona, director of the organization Fundaredes, detained since July 2, 2021, and turned into one of the most emblematic cases of the criminalization of human rights defenders in Venezuela.
"Already free together with his mother and brother José Rafael, who was also a political prisoner", reported Foro Penal.
El régimen chavista liberó a otros 33 presos políticos en Venezuela
Tarazona had been accused of incitement to hatred, terrorism, and treason, after he denounced the presence of armed groups on the border between Venezuela and Colombia. Fundaredes maintained that his detention was marked by a lack of judicial guarantees, disregard for due process, and detention conditions that violated his essential rights.
Opposition leaders and regional activists
Those released also include Luis Guillermo Istúriz González, a lawyer and leader of the party Vente Venezuela, detained since August 2024 and held in El Helicoide. Istúriz had been sentenced to 30 years in prison in the same case in which Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of president-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, was prosecuted.
Meanwhile, the release of Lorenia Guadalupe Gutiérrez Bolívar was also confirmed, coordinator of Vente Venezuela in Bolívar state, detained during a raid without a court order. Human rights organizations had pointed to her case as an example of persecution against grassroots political structures.
El régimen chavista liberó a otros 33 presos políticos en Venezuela
The list also includes Mauricio Giampaoli, Yandir Loggiodice, Víctor Enmanuel Castillo Vizcaya, Willians Antonio Díaz Rolong, Guillermo de Jesús López, and other citizens detained for political reasons.
Reactions and international pressure
The Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, María Corina Machado, welcomed Tarazona's release and reiterated her demand for the release of all political prisoners.
The releases are taking place within the framework of a process announced by the Chavista regime, which includes a proposed amnesty law promoted by Delcy Rodríguez. Human rights organizations warn that this is a partial maneuver, without structural guarantees or an end to political persecution.
