The President of the Venezuelan Parliament, Chavista Jorge Rodríguez, announced this Friday (6) that the Venezuelan regime intends to release all political prisoners on the same day that the Amnesty Law currently being processed in the Legislature is approved. According to him, the final vote should take place between next Tuesday (10) and, at the latest, Friday (13) of next week.
The statement was made in front of family members of political prisoners gathered at a police command in Caracas. According to Rodríguez, the release will occur immediately after the final approval of the law.
This Thursday (5), the Venezuelan Parliament unanimously approved the Amnesty Bill in the first vote – which was presented by the country’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez. The text was taken to the plenary by Chavista deputy Jorge Arreaza.
According to Arreaza, the project covers cases of political prisoners since 1999, when Hugo Chávez came to power, until the present day. The text, however, excludes people prosecuted or convicted of serious human rights violations, crimes against humanity, war crimes, intentional homicide, corruption and drug trafficking.
During this Thursday’s vote, Jorge Rodríguez publicly defended the project during the session and asked for “forgiveness” for the regime’s actions. “We ask for forgiveness and we have to forgive too”, he declared, stating that he does not “like the existence of prisoners”.
