JAKARTA - Venezuela has released a large number of political prisoners (tapol), including a number of foreign nationals (WNA), as a real concession to the United States (US) after the aggression and kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro.
Citing AFP, this release is the first since former Vice President (Wapres) Delcy Rodriguez was appointed as Venezuela's interim president with the support of US President Donald Trump.
The announcement of a number of tapols in Venezuela being released on Thursday, January 8 was made by Rodriguez's brother and also the President of the Venezuelan Parliament, Jorge Rodriguez.
Jorge is known as a key figure in "Chavismo," an anti-US socialist movement founded by Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
He said "a large number of Venezuelan and foreign citizens" would be released immediately for "peaceful coexistence."
He did not mention which prisoners would be released, how many, or from where.
According to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the well-known Spanish-Venezuelan activist, Rocio San Miguel, who has been imprisoned since February 2024 for alleged plans to assassinate Maduro, is among the five Spanish citizens who were released.
Along with these actions, security was increased on Thursday afternoon, January 8, outside the notorious El Helicoide detention center in Caracas, which the intelligence services used to imprison tapol and other prisoners.
Trump is known to have let Rodriguez become interim president as long as the US had access to oil in Venezuela.
The White House later praised Trump for securing the freedom of the political prisoners.
"This is one example of how the president uses maximum influence to do what is best for the American and Venezuelan people," said Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly in a statement.
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