GUATIRE, Venezuela (AP) 鈥� released a number of imprisoned high-profile opposition figures, activists and journalists 鈥� both citizens and foreigners 鈥� Thursday in what the government described as a gesture to 鈥渟eek peace鈥� less than a week after former President Nicol谩s Maduro was captured by U.S. forces to face .
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been pressuring Maduro allies now leading the country to fold to his vision for the future of the oil-rich nation, said the releases came at the request of the United States. In the interview on Fox 海角社区app on Thursday night, Trump praised the government of acting President , saying: 鈥渢hey’ve been great. … Everything we鈥檝e wanted, they鈥檝e given us.鈥�
Jorge 搁辞诲谤铆驳耻别锄, brother of the acting president and head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said a 鈥渟ignificant number鈥� of people would be freed, but as of late Thursday night it was still not clear who or how many people would be released. The U.S. government and Venezuela’s opposition have long demanded the widespread release of imprisoned politicians, critics and members of civil society. The Venezuelan government insists it does not hold prisoners for political reasons.
鈥淐onsider this a gesture by the Bolivarian (Venezuelan) government, which is broadly intended to seek peace,鈥� he announced.
High profile releases
Among those released was Biagio Pilieri, an opposition leader who was part of Nobel Peace Prize winner Mar铆a Corina Machado鈥檚 2024 presidential campaign, according to Foro Penal, an advocacy group for prisoners based in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. Also released was Enrique M谩rquez, a former electoral authority and candidate in the 2024 presidential election, the organization said.
Videos posted by journalists on social media show M谩rquez and Pilieri embracing loved ones on the streets outside the prison. One video showed M谩rquez beaming and video-calling family members, saying, 鈥淪oon I will be with you all.鈥�
Five Spanish citizens 鈥� including the prominent 鈥� were also released in the afternoon and, as the night wore on, reports trickled out of more detainees walking free. Relatives who waited for hours outside a prison in Guatire, about an hour east of Caracas, briefly chanted, 鈥淟ibertad! Libertad!鈥� meaning 鈥淔reedom! Freedom!鈥�
Venezuela’s government has a history of releasing people imprisoned for political reasons 鈥� including real and perceived opponents 鈥� during moments of high tension to signal openness to dialogue. The releases on Thursday were the first since .
Human rights groups and members of the opposition were encouraged by the move, though it wasn鈥檛 clear yet what it represented 鈥� whether the growing pains of a government in transition or a symbolic overture to placate the Trump administration, which has allowed Maduro鈥檚 loyalists to stay in power as it exerts pressure through crippling sanctions.
鈥楴othing brings back the stolen years鈥�
For opposition leader Machado 鈥� whom Trump has snubbed by endorsing to lead the transition 鈥� the gesture was 鈥渁n act of moral restitution.”
鈥淣othing brings back the stolen years,鈥� she said in an audio message from exile addressed to families of released detainees, urging them to take comfort in the knowledge that 鈥渋njustice will not be eternal and that the truth, though badly wounded, eventually prevails.鈥�
Alfredo Romero, president of Foro Penal, expressed cautious hope “that this is indeed the beginning of the dismantling of a repressive system in Venezuela … and not a mere gesture, a charade of releasing some prisoners and incarcerating others.鈥�
Despite a widespread crackdown in the aftermath of the 鈥� in which authorities said they detained more than 2,000 people 鈥� Venezuela’s government denies that there are prisoners unjustly detained, accusing them of plotting to destabilize Maduro鈥檚 government.
Romero’s organization said that as of Dec. 29, 2025, there were 863 people detained in Venezuela 鈥渇or political reasons.鈥�
The Spanish government said Thursday that five of its citizens, including dual national San Miguel, had been released from custody in Venezuela and would soon return to Spain.
Speaking to Spanish broadcaster RNE, Spanish Foreign Minister Jos茅 Manuel Albares identified the other Spanish nationals released as Andr茅s Mart铆nez, Jos茅 Mar铆a Basoa, Ernesto Gorbe and Miguel Moreno.
Two of them, Mart铆nez and Basoa, and accused of plotting to destabilize Maduro鈥檚 government as Spanish spies 鈥� allegations vehemently denied by Spain.
Spain鈥檚 El Pa铆s newspaper reported Thursday that another freed detainee, Gorbe, was arrested in 2024 on allegations of overstaying his visa.
Families wait outside prisons
As the news of the release broke Thursday, families of detainees rushed to prisons across the country, seeking information on their loved ones.
Pedro Dur谩n, 60, was among those hoping to reunite with his brother Franklin Dur谩n as he waited outside the prison in Guatire. Dur谩n said his brother was detained in 2021 on charges of trying to overthrow Maduro鈥檚 government 鈥� an accusation his family denies.
Dur谩n, who has been living in Spain, heard rumors on Wednesday that the government could release a number of detainees and immediately bought a plane ticket from Madrid to Caracas to find his brother.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have words to express the emotion I鈥檓 feeling,鈥� Dur谩n said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e feeling a lot of hope … We鈥檙e just waiting now.鈥�
Despite the anticipation, fear persists.
鈥淥f course everyone here is very scared, but what more could (the government) do to us that they haven鈥檛 done already,鈥� he added.
鈥楢 bargaining chip鈥�
Ronal 搁辞诲谤铆驳耻别锄, a researcher at the Venezuelan Observatory at the University of Rosario in Bogot谩, Colombia, said the government releases prisoners at politically strategic moments.
In July last year, Venezuela and permanent residents in exchange for the repatriation of over 200 Venezuelans deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador, where they had been held in a prison built to house criminal gangs.
鈥淭he regime uses them like a bargaining chip,鈥� he said of prisoners in Venezuela. It will be telling to see not only how many people the government releases, he said, but also under what conditions and whether the releases include anyone high-profile.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration sought to assert its control over , seizing a pair of sanctioned tankers transporting petroleum and announcing plans to relax some sanctions so the U.S. can oversee the sale of Venezuela鈥檚 petroleum worldwide.
Both moves reflect the administration鈥檚 determination to make good on its effort to control the next steps in Venezuela through its vast oil resources. Trump pledged after the capture of Maduro that .
Trump on Thursday night said that Machado may be visiting Washington next week and that he may be meeting with her.
鈥淚 understand she鈥檚 coming in next week some time and I look forward to saying hello to her,鈥� Trump said in the Fox 海角社区app interview with Sean Hannity. 鈥淎nd I鈥檝e heard that she wants to do that.鈥�
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Associated Press reporters Jorge Rueda and Ariana Cubillos in Caracas, Isabel DeBre in Buenos Aires and Suman Naishadham in Madrid contributed to this report. Janetsky reported from Mexico City.
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