Venezuela Says 116 Political Prisoners Were Freed—Rights Groups Can Verify Far Fewer

Key Points

• Caracas says 116 detainees were granted release measures; Foro Penal has verified 41 releases so far.
• The freed include Italians and Spaniards, turning a domestic crackdown into a diplomatic file.
• After a death in custody, families want names, timelines, and freedom without restrictive conditions.

In Venezuela, liberation often starts as a number. Families and lawyers then chase the names behind it—at prison gates, in court corridors, and through late-night phone calls.

On Monday, the penitentiary ministry said 116 people had benefited from a case review linked to alleged attempts to undermine the state. Rights monitors say releases are happening, but at a slower, harder-to-confirm pace.

Foro Penal reported it could confirm 24 releases overnight: 15 men from El Rodeo I and nine women from Las Crisálidas, both near Caracas. It had also verified 17 more over the weekend, bringing the confirmed total to 41.

Venezuela releases detainees amid pressure

Foreign cases make the stakes clearer. Italy said two Italians were freed from El Rodeo I: aid worker Alberto Trentini, linked to Humanity & Inclusion, and businessman Mario Burlò.

They were transferred to Italy’s embassy in Caracas, and Italy dispatched a state aircraft from Rome to bring them home. Italy also said two other Italians were freed earlier: Italian-Venezuelan journalist and politician Biagio Pilieri, and businessman Luigi Gasperin.

Spain has focused on Rocío San Miguel, a prominent rights advocate and military analyst held in SEBIN’s El Helicoide and reported freed on January 10 alongside five Spanish nationals.

Her former husband, Alejandro González de Canales—detained on February 9, 2024 and linked in reporting to coordinating flights for Chevron—was also reported released in this wave.

Officials have framed the releases as a gesture toward peace and “national unity,” language echoed by National Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez.

Families outside prisons are asking for something more concrete: published lists, clear timelines, and conditions that do not silence former detainees.

Those demands intensified after detainee Edison Torres died in custody on January 10 at the PNB’s Zone 7 facility in Boleíta, with prosecutors citing a sudden health collapse.

Related coverage: Brazil’s Morning Call | U.S. Hits ISIS Targets Across Syria After Deadly Palmyra Att This is part of The Rio Times’ daily coverage of Venezuela affairs and Latin American financial news.

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