(AFP) – Venezuela has freed 15 journalists, including a leading opposition figure, as the slow release of political prisoners begun after Nicolas Maduro’s ouster continues, activists said Wednesday. The administration of acting president Delcy Rodriguez has been releasing prisoners at a trickle over the past six days, in what it calls a goodwill gesture following Maduro’s capture by US special forces in Caracas on January 3. So far, it has only released a fraction of the more than 800 political prisoners estimated to be languishing in the country’s penitentiaries. They include some Americans, a US State Department official confirmed on Tuesday, without saying how many.
Roland Carreno, a journalist and opposition activist, was among a group of at least 15 reporters whose release was announced on Wednesday by a journalist union and a rights group. “We confirm the release of journalist Roland Carreno. He had been imprisoned since August 2, 2024: 1 year, 5 months, and 12 days,” the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) wrote on X. Carreno, who was imprisoned between 2020 and 2023 on terrorism charges, was detained again in August 2024 during protests over elections that Maduro was accused of stealing.
Caracas said Tuesday it had freed 116 detainees so far, but the Foro Penal rights NGO said it has only been able to confirm about half that number. The US State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called the release of Americans “an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.” US President Donald Trump has hailed the releases, saying that he called off a second wave of strikes on Venezuela in light of the gesture. Many of those released were jailed for taking part in protests over the July 2024 elections, in which Maduro was declared the victor despite widespread allegations of vote-rigging. A number of Spanish and Italian citizens have also walked free from Venezuelan prisons in the past week. The United States had already secured freedom for some of its nationals in a deal with Maduro last year.
Former deputy president Rodriguez assumed power after Maduro was captured by US forces along with his wife during air raids that left more than 100 dead, according to official figures. The couple were whisked to New York, where they were jailed while awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges.
Domestically, Venezuelans regained one freedom on Tuesday — the ability to post on the social media platform X, which had been a popular forum for them. It is once again accessible, more than a year after users were blocked by Maduro’s government. Rodriguez updated her profile’s bio — she served as vice president under Maduro — and wrote: “Let us stay united, moving toward economic stability, social justice, and the welfare state we deserve to aspire to.” Access remained spotty to the social media network owned by billionaire Elon Musk, who engaged in heated online exchanges with the ousted Venezuelan leader, until Maduro lashed out in retaliation for criticism of his contested 2024 election and shut X down altogether. Maduro’s X account was updated Tuesday with a photo of the deposed leader and his wife, Cilia Flores. “We want you back,” the post reads.
© 2024 AFP
