Venezuela says 116 political prisoners have been released

Venezuela announced on Monday that 116 political prisoners had been freed since the government announced last week that it would begin freeing those jailed under President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by US forces in a raid in Caracas.

However, the South American country’s opposition and rights groups report lower figures. Relatives of prisoners have camped near the prison gates waiting for their loved ones to speak.

“These measures have benefited persons deprived of their liberty for acts related to disturbing the constitutional order and undermining the stability of the Nation,” the Ministry of Correctional Services said in a statement announcing the releases to date.

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The non-governmental organization Foro Penal said 24 people were released early Monday, including two Italians, while Venezuela’s political opposition reported the release of a youth leader.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni went to X to thank Venezuela’s interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez and to welcome the release of the two Italian nationals, who she said “are now safe in the Italian embassy in Caracas.

“I spoke to them and a plane has already left Rome to bring them home,” Meloni added.

Human rights groups estimate that there are between 800 and 1,200 political prisoners in Venezuela.

The release of the prisoners was announced last Thursday under pressure from President Donald Trump, who claimed the United States is “responsible” for Venezuela after Maduro was ousted and sent to a New York prison to face drug-trafficking charges.

Over the weekend Trump celebrated the releases “in a big way” and said he hoped the freed prisoners would “remember how lucky they were that America came and did what needed to be done.”