The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, announced this Friday (30) the proposal for a general amnesty law for hundreds of political prisoners in the country. The measure was presented during an event at the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice and must be urgently sent to the National Assembly, controlled by the government, for a vote.
“I am announcing a general amnesty law and instructing that this law be taken to the National Assembly to promote peaceful coexistence in Venezuela,” said Rodríguez. She added that the proposal should “heal the wounds that the political confrontation left, from violence to extremism”, restore justice and reinforce coexistence among Venezuelans.
According to the interim president, the amnesty will cover what she called “the entire period of political violence” in the country, from 1999 — the year in which Hugo Chávez came to power — until the present day. In his speech, Delcy stated that the initiative brings “the spirit of Hugo Chávez”.
The proposal, however, *excludes those convicted of homicide, drug trafficking, corruption and serious human rights violations.
The presentation of the law takes place in a complex political context. Delcy Rodríguez assumed the interim presidency on January 5, 2026 after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by the United States in a military operation, which led to the former president and his wife being prosecuted in the North American country. The Venezuelan government itself classified Maduro’s arrest as an “illegal and illegitimate kidnapping”, and Rodríguez condemned the action, despite being in dialogue with the United States government in search of diplomatic relations and cooperation.
The amnesty initiative has received a cautious response from human rights groups, who defend the release of all those detained for political reasons, but warn of the need for clear criteria and transparency in the process.
