Venezuela’s interim dictatorship released at least four American citizens who were imprisoned in the Caribbean country, according to information obtained by CNN this Tuesday (13).
This is the first time that the release of Americans has been reported since the president of the National Assembly (AN) of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, brother of the country’s interim dictator, Delcy Rodríguez, said last Thursday (8) that “a significant number” of political prisoners would be released.
It is estimated that at least five Americans had been detained in Venezuela in recent months. Since Thursday, in addition to Venezuelans, the release of Spanish and Italian citizens had been confirmed.
According to information from the Efecto Cocuyo website, Jorge Rodríguez stated this Tuesday that more than 400 people have been released since December by the Chavista regime, of which 116 were released in recent days, but NGOs and the Venezuelan opposition dispute these numbers.
In a statement, opposition leader María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, winner of the 2024 presidential election rigged by Chavismo so that Nicolás Maduro (captured by the US in an operation on the 3rd) would remain in power, said that the “mass” release of political prisoners promised is not occurring as announced.
According to the EFE Agency, the NGO Foro Penal confirmed only 56 releases until this Tuesday, while the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), the opposition bloc of which María Corina and González are part, reported only 76. Before these releases, Venezuela had 806 political prisoners, according to Foro Penal.
