Venezuela Frees Political Prisoners in Bid to ‘Seek Peace’

Among those released are two prominent Venezuelan opposition figures, according to local rights groups.
Venezuela Frees Political Prisoners in Bid to ‘Seek Peace’
Relatives of prisoners wait in front of El Rodeo jail in Caracas on Jan. 8, 2026. Pedro Mattey/AFP via Getty Images
|Updated:
0:00

Venezuela’s interim administration has begun releasing political prisoners, days after U.S. forces captured its president last week to face criminal charges in the United States.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, the brother of interim President Delcy Rodríguez, said on Jan. 8 the government has decided to release “a significant number” of Venezuelan and foreign detainees as a gesture affirming its “broad intention to seek peace.”