US-backed Venezuela releases jailed politicians amid diplomatic efforts

Venezuela Releases Large Number of High-Profile Prisoners

In a move announced on Thursday, Share Save Venezuela has released a significant number of high-profile political prisoners, including several foreigners. The releases come less than a week after the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces.

According to reports, former opposition candidate Enrique Marquez was among those released. Marquez had opposed Maduro in the 2024 presidential election and expressed his sentiments in a video statement filmed by a local journalist.

Delcy Rodriguez, who took office as interim leader with the backing of US President Donald Trump, stated that “a large number of Venezuelan and foreign nationals” were being immediately freed for the sake of “peaceful coexistence”. The exact number of prisoners released and their locations are not specified.

Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado welcomed the releases, while renowned Spanish-Venezuelan activist Rocio San Miguel was among five Spanish citizens freed, according to Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The White House credited Trump with securing the prisoners’ freedom, stating that it is an example of the president using maximum leverage to do right by the American and Venezuelan people. Trump has announced plans to sell between 30 million and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil, with Caracas then using the money to buy US-made products.

Trump also stated that he would target cartels in land strikes and meet Nobel Prize-winning opposition leader Machado in Washington next week. The US military has already destroyed at least 31 vessels in maritime attacks in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean, killing at least 107 people.

Source: Al Jazeera