Venezuela releases dozens of people detained during anti-Maduro protests | Human Rights News

Families celebrate Christmas releases while demanding total freedom for detainees.

Venezuelan authorities have released at least 60 people arrested during protests against President Nicolas Maduro’s re-election, according to a human rights group, although activists say hundreds remain behind bars.

The releases began early Thursday, in the run-up to Christmas, according to the Committee for Free Speech. Political prisonersa group of human rights activists and relatives of detainees arrested during the unrest following the July presidential election.

“We celebrate the release of more than 60 Venezuelans, who should never have been arbitrarily detained,” committee president Andreina Baduel told the AFP news agency.

“Even if they are not fully free, we will continue to work for their full freedom and that of all political prisoners. »

Maduro secured a third term in the July 2024 vote, a result rejected by some parts of the opposition amid allegations of fraud. The disputed result sparked weeks of protests, during which authorities arrested around 2,400 people. Nearly 2,000 people have since been released, according to rights groups.

Despite the latest releases, Venezuela still holds at least 902 political prisonersaccording to Foro Penal, an NGO which monitors detentions.

Relatives said many of those released were being held at Tocoron prison, a maximum security facility in Aragua state, about 84 miles (134 kilometers) from the capital Caracas. Authorities have not publicly clarified the conditions under which the detainees were released.

“We must not forget that there are more than 1,000 families with political prisoners,” Baduel said. His father, Raul Isaias Baduel, a former defense minister and once ally of the late President Hugo Chavez, died in custody in 2021.