More Than 400 Venezuelan Prisoners Released Under Strict New Rules

Venezuela’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced during a parliamentary session on Tuesday that more than 400 prisoners had been released from prison. This statement contradicts claims made by local rights groups, which reported that between 60 and 70 prisoners had been freed in recent days.

Rodriguez stated that the decision to release some prisoners was granted, specifically those who had broken the law and violated the Constitution, as well as individuals who had called for invasion. He did not provide a specific timeline for the releases.

The Venezuelan government has previously denied holding people for political reasons, stating that it has already released most of the 2,000 people detained after protests over the contested presidential election. Human rights groups estimate that there are 800 to 1,200 political prisoners in Venezuela and have expressed concerns about the slow pace and lack of information surrounding the releases.

Bloomberg News reported that at least one US citizen was released from prison on Tuesday, while the Ministry of Penitentiary Services stated that at least 116 prisoners were released on Monday. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump on Thursday in Washington, DC.

The US government has taken control of oil shipments in and out of Venezuela following the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. The US military and coastguard have seized five vessels in recent weeks, which were either carrying Venezuelan oil or had done so in the past. The US government has filed for court warrants to seize dozens more tanker vessels linked to the Venezuelan oil trade.

US President Trump imposed a naval blockade on Venezuela in December, which brought the country’s oil exports close to a standstill. Shipments have now resumed under US supervision, and the Trump administration plans to control Venezuela’s oil resources indefinitely.

Source: Al Jazeera