Rights groups critical as Venezuela prisoner release scheme 'coming to an end'
More than 500 political prisoners are thought to still be in jail, despite the releases since the amnesty law was brought in.
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Notable Quotes
"only another legislative act or referendum could undo the amnesty law, which had no expiration date."
— Gonzalo Himiob , Activist
"very successful in terms of its scope and the number of beneficiaries."
— Delcy Rodríguez , Politician
"Esta ley de amnistía llega a su fin. Para aquellos casos que no estaban contemplados, o mejor dicho, estaban excluidos expresamente, hay otros espacios donde se pueden canalizar."
— Delcy Rodríguez , Politician
"This amnesty law that is coming to an end, well, for those cases that were not included, or rather, were explicitly excluded from the amnesty law, there are other avenues where they can be addressed."
— Delcy Rodríguez , Politician
Key People
Interim President of Venezuela who signed an amnesty bill approved by the National Assembly.
Diosdado Cabello is a Venezuelan politician and a leading figure in the ruling PSUV party.
Former president of the United States known for his aggressive economic policies.
Gonzalo Himiob is the vice-president of the prisoner rights group Foro Penal.
John Barret is the new chargé d'affaires for the United States in Venezuela.
Jorge Arreaza oversees the amnesty process in Venezuela.
Jorge Rodríguez is the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela and brother of the president.
Top U.S. diplomat in Venezuela.
U.S. Secretary of State.
A prominent exiled opposition leader in Venezuela who won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The President of Venezuela, involved in a long-standing political crisis.
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All Coverage
More than 500 political prisoners are thought to still be in jail, despite the releases since the amnesty law was brought in.
Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodríguez declared the end of the Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence, implemented just two months prior. Rodríguez stated that for cases not covered by the amnesty, "other methods" would be used. Human rights organizations criticized the decision, expressing concerns about legal security and human rights protection in the country.
Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodríguez announced the end of the amnesty law's application, stating it benefited 8,616 individuals, including over 600 political prisoners. However, human rights organizations report that between 473 and 672 individuals remain incarcerated, including 187 military personnel explicitly excluded from the amnesty. The law did not cover exiled individuals or those who promoted foreign military interventions, notably opposition figures like María Corina Machado.
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