Venezuela interim President Delcy Rodríguez has unveiled a proposed amnesty law that could result in the release of hundreds of detainees, marking one of the most significant policy moves since the reported abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the United States earlier this month.
Speaking on Friday, Rodríguez said the government would move forward with a broad amnesty covering cases linked to political unrest dating back more than two decades.
“We have decided to advance a general amnesty law that spans the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present,” Rodríguez said.
Amnesty Bill to Be Fast-Tracked
Addressing an audience that included judges, ministers, senior military officials and other state leaders, Rodríguez said the National Assembly would handle the proposed legislation as a matter of urgency.
In a prerecorded televised address, she framed the initiative as an effort to ease political divisions and restore social cohesion.
“May this law help heal the wounds caused by confrontation, violence and extremism,” she said, adding that it should also help redirect justice and promote peaceful coexistence among Venezuelans.
Closure of Notorious Detention Facility
Alongside the amnesty announcement, Rodríguez said the government would shut down El Helicoide, a well-known intelligence detention centre in Caracas that has been repeatedly linked to allegations of torture and human rights abuses by independent organisations.
According to Rodríguez, the site will be converted into a sports, cultural and social complex intended to serve nearby communities.
The announcement was made in the presence of officials whom former detainees and rights groups have accused of overseeing operations at El Helicoide and other detention centres.
Rights Groups Welcome Move, Urge Equal Application
The prisoners’ rights organisation Foro Penal estimates that 711 people remain in detention across Venezuela due to their political activities. Of those, 183 have already received sentences.
Foro Penal president Alfredo Romero welcomed the proposed amnesty but stressed that it must be applied without exclusion.
“A general amnesty is positive as long as it includes all sectors of civil society, avoids becoming a shield for impunity, and contributes to dismantling mechanisms of political repression,” Romero wrote on social media.
The group has reported that approximately 302 detainees have been released since Rodríguez assumed interim leadership following Maduro’s abduction.
Recent Releases and Ongoing Disputes
Foro Penal also shared footage showing the release of human rights defender Eduardo Torres on Friday night. Torres had been detained since May 2025.
Families of detainees and advocacy groups have long called for charges against individuals considered political prisoners to be dropped.
Government officials, however, deny holding political prisoners, arguing that those jailed were convicted of criminal offences. Authorities have claimed that more than 600 people have been released, though they have not clarified the timeframe and appear to include releases from previous years.