In a significant development following the dramatic capture of its president, Venezuela has begun releasing several political prisoners, a key demand of the opposition. The move comes just a week after US forces apprehended President Nicolás Maduro, plunging the oil-rich Latin American nation into a political crisis.
Prisoners Released in Gesture of Peace
On Saturday, Venezuelan authorities freed at least five individuals from detention. Among those released was Virgilio Laverde, the youth coordinator for opposition leader María Corina Machado's Vente Venezuela party in the southern state of Bolívar. The human rights organization Foro Penal confirmed the releases on the social media platform X.
This action follows a statement on Thursday by Venezuela's National Assembly head, Jorge Rodríguez, who promised a significant number of prisoner releases as a "gesture of peace." However, the scale of the releases remains limited. So far, fewer than two dozen prisoners have been freed, a small fraction of the more than 800 political prisoners estimated by Foro Penal to be held in the country.
Earlier releases included prominent figures such as Biagio Pilieri, a former lawmaker and ally of Machado, and Enrique Márquez, a former vice president of the opposition-led National Assembly and electoral authority. Five Spanish citizens were also among the first group to be freed.
US Response and Oil Revenue Safeguards
The prisoner releases are a direct consequence of the seismic event on January 3, when US forces captured President Maduro. Following this, US President Donald Trump asserted that the United States is now running Venezuela. In response to cooperation from Venezuelan authorities, Trump stated he canceled a second wave of planned attacks on the country.
American diplomats have since visited Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. In a major economic move, President Trump signed an executive order on Saturday aimed at safeguarding Venezuelan oil revenue held in US Treasury accounts. This order blocks these funds from the country's creditors and prevents their seizure to satisfy debts or legal claims, effectively placing the vital revenue under US protection.
Domestic Defiance and Investor Caution
Within Venezuela, the acting President, Delcy Rodriguez, struck a defiant tone. During a public event at a food market on Saturday, she vowed that Venezuela would not stop condemning Maduro's detention. "We will not rest until we have President Maduro back; we are going to rescue him," she declared, making no mention of the new prisoner releases.
Meanwhile, the US push for massive private investment in Venezuela's crippled economy is meeting skepticism. On Friday, major US oil executives expressed caution regarding Trump's call for them to spend at least $100 billion to rebuild the nation's oil infrastructure. The head of Exxon Mobil Corp. notably described Venezuela as currently "uninvestable," highlighting the profound challenges that remain despite the shifting political landscape.
The situation remains fluid, with the release of prisoners marking a tentative step in a high-stakes geopolitical confrontation centered on one of the world's largest oil reserves.
