The Amnesty Law, promulgated this Thursday by Delcy Rodríguez, is already producing concrete effects. Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, confirmed this Saturday that hundreds of releases are being executed in key detention centers in Caracas, such as El Helicoide of the Sebin and the Zona 7 police zone.
During a public consultation on the regulation of the Venezuelan Red Cross, Rodríguez highlighted the immediate application of the Amnesty Law. The parliamentary commission, led by Jorge Arreaza, operates in permanent session to review cases. The Attorney General’s Office presented 379 requests: 371 in Caracas, 5 in Barinas, 2 in Portuguesa, and 1 in Monagas. Many releases occurred between Friday night and Saturday morning.
Wide scope of the Amnesty Law
The Parliament is also evaluating over 11,000 people under substitute measures, such as periodic presentations or exit prohibitions, to grant them full freedom. This norm covers the period 1999-2026, focusing on 13 political junctures since 2002, although it leaves out military detentions and cases of at least 15 years prior.
Prisoners excluded from the Amnesty Law
Estimates of Penal Forum
Not all detainees benefit. The NGO Penal Forum calculates over 600 political prisoners in Venezuela, despite 448 releases since January 8. At least 400 would remain outside the scope of the Amnesty Law; the organization will submit an initial list of 232 cases for review.
- Expeditious protocol: Authorized by the Government to speed up processes.
- Key exclusions: Military operations and old detentions not covered.
- Urgency requested: Delcy Rodríguez asks to review pending cases quickly.
Historically, the Amnesty Law responds to post-electoral tensions and accumulated protests. In 2019, a similar amnesty released opposition members, but critics point out limitations in its application. Human rights experts, such as those from Penal Forum, emphasize the need for transparency in the lists of beneficiaries, absent so far.
The Amnesty Law marks a step towards prison decongestion, although doubts persist about its exhaustiveness. Independent monitoring will be crucial to verify the real impact on the Venezuelan prison population.
