Overview
- The penitentiary ministry said 99 people detained over 2024 post‑election unrest were freed after case‑by‑case reviews as a gesture of peace.
- Penal Forum said it had confirmed 45 releases so far, with other groups saying the official figure has not been independently verified.
- A committee tracking cases said most beneficiaries remain under conditional liberty with travel bans, periodic court appearances and limits on speaking to the media.
- Rights organizations say Venezuela still holds roughly 900 to 1,085 political prisoners despite the holiday releases.
- The move follows fresh detentions of activists and union leaders and rising U.S. pressure at sea, with no prominent opposition figures or the recently convicted 17‑year‑old among those freed.