Discrepancies are emerging over a recent mass prisoner release announced by the Venezuelan government, raising questions about the extent of the concessions and openness surrounding the process. Opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia allege the government’s reported numbers are inflated, while officials claim over 400 individuals have been freed as a gesture toward easing political tensions ahead of potential elections [[3]]. The differing accounts are fueling scrutiny from human rights organizations and intensifying concerns for the families of those still detained.
Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia have alleged that a recent mass prisoner release announced by the Venezuelan government is not unfolding as promised. The claims of discrepancies come as international observers scrutinize President Nicolás Maduro’s administration amid ongoing political tensions and calls for free and fair elections.
According to a statement released by spokespeople for Machado and González Urrutia on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the government’s reported figure of 116 released prisoners is inaccurate. Human rights organizations have so far only been able to verify the release of 56 individuals.
Jorge Rodríguez: Over Four Hundred Released
Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly and a key figure in the ruling socialist party, stated on Tuesday that more than 400 prisoners have been released. He characterized the releases as a “unilateral gesture” by his sister, Delcy Rodríguez, the vice president. Rodríguez clarified that those released were not necessarily political prisoners, but rather individuals who had committed offenses against the law and the constitution. He claimed that the first 160 were released on December 23, 2024, potentially referencing previous releases in December.
Responding to questions from opposition lawmaker Luis Florido during a parliamentary session broadcast on the Venezuelan Parliament’s YouTube channel, ANTV Venezuela, Rodríguez urged a move toward peaceful coexistence. “If we are going to promote peaceful coexistence, we have to rectify, we have to find mechanisms where there is parsimony, encounter, and a little less arrogance, but you (the opposition) have to reduce your pettiness,” he said.
Opposition Demands Prisoner Lists
Machado and Urrutia also highlighted the distress caused to families of detainees, stating that the government has not published lists of those to be released or notified families about the process. As a result, hundreds of relatives remain camped outside detention centers, spending limited funds and risking their health while awaiting information.
“Every day in prison counts. The lives and health of hundreds of people are at stake,” the opposition leaders stated, referencing the recent death in custody of Edison José Torres Fernández, 52, who they identified as the eighth political prisoner to die while detained since the July 28, 2024, elections. The development raises concerns about the conditions of political prisoners in Venezuela and the Maduro government’s commitment to addressing human rights issues.
lgc (efe, afp)
