Venezuela Frees 131 of 225 Political Prisoners Post-Election, 18 Missing

Nov 20, 2024, 11:15 AM

Venezuela's authoritarian government, led by President Maduro who is accused of stealing the election, has released 225 political prisoners detained following a brutal crackdown on dissent after the country's disputed presidential election on July 28. The release came after months of detention, with Attorney General Tarek William Saab requesting courts to review the cases of those detained during episodes of right-wing violence post-election. Some of the prisoners were women and children, and their release might be an attempt to send a signal to President-elect Trump. However, the government has only freed 131 of the promised 225 prisoners, leading to protests by families outside Venezuelan jails. Additionally, there are reports of at least 18 people, including foreigners, who have gone missing, presumed detained after the election. The NGO Provea has been targeted by the government, with Amnesty International demanding an end to the harassment of human rights defenders.