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Familiares de detenidos con velas frente a la verja cerrada de una prisión al anochecer
Imagen alusiva de familiares con velas frente a una prisión. · Imagen generada por EPM

Figuera expects new releases of political prisoners in Venezuela

Dinorah Figuera said new releases of political prisoners will be announced soon in Venezuela after talks with Jorge Rodríguez.

--- The context --- Venezuela is keeping open a dialogue process that began in August between the ruling movement and sectors of the opposition, with the situation of people jailed for political reasons at the center of the demands. The release of all detainees is presented as a demand shared by families and political leaders, while the releases recorded in recent months have still not reached everyone affected. --- The facts --- Dinorah Figuera, president of the National Assembly elected in 2015, said on Sunday that the ruling movement will soon announce new releases of political prisoners. Her remarks followed a meeting with Jorge Rodríguez, the head of Parliament, who told her they were close to announcing the release of another group of detainees as both sides prepare to resume the dialogue toward a fourth round of talks. Figuera also conveyed to Delcy Rodríguez the demands of relatives of jailed members of the Armed Forces seeking the freedom of their loved ones. According to Foro Penal, Venezuela currently holds 322 political prisoners, of whom 182 are civilians and 140 belong to the Armed Forces. Some detained service members expressed their intention to leave Venezuela once released and mentioned Spain and Germany as possible destinations. --- The positions --- Figuera said her sector insists on securing the release of all political prisoners and described that release as a demand made not only by the population. From the government side, Delcy Rodríguez stated in August that 1,046 Venezuelans had regained their freedom since the procedure began in January. The regime, however, rejects that political prisoners exist and maintains that the detentions respond to crimes, a position questioned by human rights organizations and opposition sectors. --- What remains unknown --- There is still no official list with the names of those who would benefit from the new measures and no confirmed date for the announced step. It is also unknown how many people the next group would include or whether it would cover both civilians and service members. The absence of that information previously forced families from different regions to wait outside prisons without knowing whether their relatives were included. --- Unanswered questions --- When will the new group of releases be announced and who will be included? Will the measure reach the 322 political prisoners registered by Foro Penal or only part of them? What guarantees will those released receive, after an amnesty law that reached more than 8,000 people but left many beneficiaries still subject to judicial restrictions? --- EPM analysis --- The anticipated announcement combines sustained social pressure with political negotiation. The protest camp outside Rodeo I prison, in Miranda state, was lifted on Sunday after ten months of protest that began on January 8, although in recent days around 20 relatives remained compared with an initial average close to 100. Activist Sairam Rivas clarified that leaving the site does not mean abandoning the demands and that the claims will move to institutions and embassies. The visit by María Corina Machado on Friday and the request raised in Washington show the issue retains domestic and external weight. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, the credibility of this process will be measured in verifiable names rather than general previews, because families have already waited more than 300 days without full certainty. If the new announcement includes a clear list, a timetable and an end to restrictions for those already released, the dialogue will gain concrete support. If it is again partial and lacking detail, distrust will grow and the protest will simply change location without losing strength or legitimacy among Venezuelans demanding answers today.
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