Venezuelan nonprofit says 16 verified prisoners released under Venezuela’s amnesty

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela-based prisoners' rights group Foro Penal said on X Sunday that it had verified the release of 16 people since an amnesty bill for people in held for political reasons was signed into law this week.

That number is far below those given by National Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez a day prior. On Saturday, he said that 1,557 applications were being processed immediately and that hundreds people deprived of liberty benefiting from the amnesty law were already being released.

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez signed the amnesty measure into law on Thursday, signaling a major shift in policy following last month's stunning U.S. military raid in the capital, Caracas, to capture then-President Nicolás Maduro.

It is expected to benefit opposition members, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and many others detained for months or even years.

But human rights organizations have reacted with distrust to the approval of the law, calling it insufficient because it leaves out, for example, imprisoned military personnel.

The new law also excludes those convicted of homicide, drug trafficking and serious human rights violations.

Days after Maduro's capture, Rodríguez's government offered to release a significant number of prisoners as a gesture to consolidate peace. Since then, a total of 464 people have been released but more than 600 remain detained, according to Foro Penal.

These releases did not grant full freedom but rather are a precautionary measure substituting imprisonment. Released detainees are banned from speaking to the press, leaving the country and participating in political activities.

The opposition has demanded an amnesty law which grants full freedom to political detainees.

The Venezuelan Red Cross in a statement on Sunday that it would accept the government's invitation to accompany the release process stemming from the amnesty law.