Family members of detainees wait outside the National Police Zone 7 Detention Centre as Venezuela’s government begins releasing some detainees, with the freeing of political prisoners marking a move long demanded by human rights groups, international bodies and opposition leaders, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 12, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Venezuela said on Monday (January 12, 2026) 116 political prisoners had been released since the government announced last week it would begin freeing those jailed under president Nicolas Maduro, who was seized by U.S. forces in a raid on Caracas.
“These measures have benefited individuals deprived of liberty for acts related to disrupting the constitutional order and undermining the Nation’s stability,” the Ministry of the Penitentiary Service said in a statement.
The statement put the number of those released at 116, although Opposition and rights groups have reported lower figures.
Published – January 12, 2026 08:21 pm IST
