The Venezuelan government has announced the release of 88 individuals detained for protesting against President Nicolas Maduro’s electoral win in July 2024.
In a statement published on Meta-owned Instagram, the Ministry of Penitentiary Service said that 88 more people have been released in connection with “crimes” committed during post-election protests.
“These actions are part of the comprehensive review process of cases ordered by President Nicolas Maduro,” it stated.
The latest release order comes days after the Maduro administration released 99 political prisoners on Christmas Day as “a concrete expression of the State’s commitment to peace, dialogue and justice”.
In July 2024, Venezuela witnessed massive uprisings after Maduro was declared the winner of the presidential elections for the third consecutive time.
At the time, the country’s main opposition party had claimed victory of the now-exiled former ambassador, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
Maduro-backed authorities detained over 2,400 people opposing his win, of whom nearly 2,000 have been systematically released as part of presidential pardon.
Also Read: US military strike on ‘drug boats’ kills 8
However, estimates suggest that more than 900 political prisoners remain in various jails across the country.
Amid ongoing tensions with the United States over alleged drug cartels linked with Maduro’s government, the Venezuelan leader has been keen to project a more pacifying image.
In the past few months, the US intensified its pressure on Caracas by deploying naval assets in the Caribbean waters and carrying out strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats near Venezuela.
US President Donald Trump has also been vocal about his desire to see Maduro step down. US forces have also seized four oil tankers so far, which are allegedly involved in trafficking crude oil to Iran and Hezbollah.
On Wednesday, Maduro expressed his readiness for a dialogue with the US, saying he was ready to talk “wherever they want and whenever they want”.
However, he did not confirm or deny reports of a US strike on a docking area, instead saying it “could be something we talk about in a few days”.
Caracas has previously accused Washington of attempting to forcefully oust Maduro to exploit the country’s massive natural resources.
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