Caracas- Venezuela’s National Assembly took a notable step toward potential political reconciliation Thursday with the initial approval of an amnesty bill for individuals detained for political reasons [[1]]. The move follows months of escalating tensions stemming from the U.S. capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in January, and comes as the country faces ongoing political and economic instability [[2]]. While the legislation excludes those accused of human rights abuses,its progression signals a potential,though fragile,shift in the deeply divided nation’s political landscape [[3]].
Venezuela’s National Assembly, dominated by the ruling party, on Thursday, February 5, 2026, unanimously approved in a first debate a bill proposing amnesty for political prisoners. The move, spearheaded by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, comes amid ongoing international pressure for political reforms in the South American nation.
The proposed legislation would cover individuals detained for political reasons dating back to 1999, when the Chavismo movement came to power. However, it specifically excludes those accused or convicted of serious human rights violations. A second debate and final vote are still required before the bill becomes law.
To facilitate consultations with civil society groups, Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, a Chavista, has appointed a special commission led by Arreaza. The commission includes 18 other lawmakers, notably Nicolás Maduro’s son, Nicolas Maduro Guerra, and former Prisons Minister Iris Varela. Rodríguez urged the commission to expedite the process, stating, “We don’t have much time.”
Rodríguez, brother of the acting president, also called for a “deep” consultation process, encompassing individuals with personal testimonies, families of those imprisoned, the detainees themselves, and “the victims of crimes committed over these years.”
“Regardless of the actions they committed, I will be comforted by every embrace of those freed with their mother, their father, their wife, their family, and their children,” he expressed.
Maduro Guerra, during the session, drew a comparison between his father, currently detained in the United States, and South African anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela. He expressed hope that, once enacted, the amnesty law would usher in a period of politics “without violence, without hatred, without missiles, without military invasion and without the kidnapping of presidents.” This was a clear reference to the January 3rd U.S. operation on Venezuelan soil and the detention of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The development underscores Venezuela’s complex political landscape and the potential for shifting dynamics as the country navigates international scrutiny and internal divisions.
ct (efe, afp)
