CARACAS, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez said Friday that over 600 inmates have been released, far more than estimated by rights groups, who are demanding the liberation of all political prisoners. The announcement, which was hailed by Washington, created expectations of large groups of prisoners walking free. Rodriguez said 626 prisoners have been released since December and said she would ask the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to verify the number. Foro Penal, a leading Venezuelan rights group, said it had counted 155 political prisoners released, mostly since Maduro's overthrow, and estimated that over 700 people were still being held. Marlene Blanco, a 65-year-old accountant, was particularly critical of Trump's grab for Venezuelan oil.
