Venezuela releases 70 political prisoners from post-election sweep

Venezuela’s authoritarian government Saturday released dozens of political prisoners – including some women and children – who were detained in a brutal crackdown on dissent following the country’s presidential election.

At least 70 political prisoners, who were swept up by President Nicolás Maduro’s security forces amid nationwide protests after the July 28 vote, were freed from four prisons across Venezuela, including the country’s infamous Tocorón prison, according to a tally published Saturday afternoon by the local human rights organization Foro Penal.

Videos circulating on social media and in local news outlets showed family members sobbing and hugging their loved ones as they were released. Some of the freed detainees leaned on others as they struggled to walk.

In one video, outside the Tocuyito prison in Carabobo state, a group of family members and liberated detainees cried out in unison: “Glory to the Father, glory to the Son, and glory to the Holy Spirit!”

It was the first major release of political prisoners since the beginning of Maduro’s post-election wave of repression, which advocates say has been the worst in the country’s recent history. At least 1,976 people have been arrested since July 29, including 246 women and 69 children, according to Foro Penal. At least 11 foreigners also have been detained.

The move came after Maduro, speaking in a televised broadcast Monday, instructed the country’s judges and Attorney General Tarek William Saab to “review and rectify” arrests that had occurred since July 28, to ensure “justice” in case there had been any “mistake.” On Wednesday, the attorney general announced that his office would review 225 cases related to the post-election protests, an action taken with a goal of “family reunification.”

It’s unclear exactly what prompted the release, a dramatic shift for an autocratic president who, in August, boasted of more than 2,000 arrests and vowed: “There will be no forgiveness.”

Many of those were taken from their homes, without arrest warrants, in the days after Maduro claimed victory in an election widely considered fraudulent. Maduro has refused to release precinct-level results from the vote, while the opposition published vote tallies showing that their candidate, Edmundo González, probably beat the autocrat in a landslide.

The releases come as the Maduro government has signaled a slight change in tone toward the United States following the election of former president Donald Trump. Venezuela’s foreign ministry congratulated Trump on his victory, and Maduro himself said his win could mark a “new start” for relations between the two countries.

It is unclear whether Maduro is aiming to show that he plans to be less repressive in order to open a possible dialogue with the U.S., especially considering the nomination of the hard-line Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) as secretary of state, said Carolina Jiménez Sandoval, president of the Washington Office on Latin America.

“We have seen this same pattern repeatedly over the years,” said Juan Pappier, deputy Americas director for Human Rights Watch. “After a wave of brutal repression, the Maduro government orders some releases to give a sense of normality and try to bolster his international legitimacy. But the international community shouldn’t fall for this trap.

“Until the will of the people is respected and all political prisoners are released, foreign governments should maintain a strict scrutiny over the actions of the Maduro regime.”

Valentina Ballesta, deputy director of research for the Americas at Amnesty International, said those released will continue to face investigations into charges of alleged terrorism, and represent only a fraction of the country’s political prisoners. She argued that the move is a “way to release some of the pressure from the international community,” including the International Criminal Court.

The court has been investigating claims that Maduro’s security forces arbitrarily detained, tortured and executed his political opponents – crimes that activists say are happening again in the latest crackdown.

One of those detained in the post-election crackdown, Jesús Manuel Martínez Medina, a 36-year-old local opposition organizer and electoral witness, died in government custody this week. He suffered from Type 2 diabetes and cardiac issues, according to opposition leaders, who accused the Maduro government of denying him proper medical care for months. Venezuela’s attorney general said he had been hospitalized since Oct. 11.

In the months since the election, mothers of some of the youngest detainees have held vigils in front of prisons and pleaded with the Maduro government to release their children, many of whom have been held in precarious conditions with no right to a lawyer, advocates and family members say.

On Wednesday, a group of mothers met with the attorney general. Speaking with journalists after the meeting, one of the mothers said she was leaving with “the hope of taking my son with me.”

“Less time left for this nightmare to end,” the woman said.