Venezuelan authorities have released 225 people detained during protests following July’s contested presidential election, Attorney General Tarek Saab announced Saturday, marking a significant development in the ongoing political crisis.
“Between the afternoon of Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th, 225 measures of liberty were granted and executed to people prosecuted for the acts of violence that occurred after the July 28 elections,” Saab said in a statement, citing new evidence gathered by prosecutors.
Human rights organization Foro Penal confirmed at least 107 releases across four prisons. “Up to now we have verified 107 political prisoners, due to the post-electoral situation, released in Venezuela,” said Alfredo Romero, the group’s director, on social media. Video footage showed freed detainees walking along highways to cheers from supporters, including at least 50 young adults from Tocoron prison.
The releases follow President Nicolas Maduro’s recent request for the attorney general to review potential mistaken arrests. Saab had previously reported that the post-election unrest left 28 people dead and nearly 200 injured.
According to Foro Penal, authorities arrested approximately 1,800 people following the July 28 election that secured Maduro’s next six-year term, set to begin in January. The president has held power since 2013, though opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez’s supporters allege fraud after electoral authorities and courts declared Maduro’s victory without releasing complete voting tallies.
Outside Tocuyito prison in Valencia, one released detainee, speaking anonymously, expressed relief at the prospect of home-cooked meals after questioning the safety of prison food. The releases follow September’s freeing of more than 80 teenagers arrested during the protests.
Activists and families of detainees maintain that many arrestees were not involved in demonstrations and have alleged torture in detention. The crackdown drew criticism from opposition groups, rights organizations, and unions, who accused Maduro’s administration of suppressing dissent.
The mass release represents a shift in the government’s approach to post-election unrest, though questions remain about the conditions of release and the fate of other detained protesters. Maduro’s victory and subsequent crackdown have deepened Venezuela’s political divisions while drawing international scrutiny of the country’s human rights situation.
