In a significant political development, the Venezuelan government has released a number of imprisoned opposition leaders, activists, and journalists. The move, announced on Thursday, is described by authorities as a gesture to "seek peace," coming less than a week after former President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces to face drug-trafficking charges.
A Gesture for Peace or Political Strategy?
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pressured Maduro's allies now leading the oil-rich nation, stated the releases came at the request of the United States. In a Fox News interview on Thursday night, Trump praised the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez. "They've been great. ... Everything we've wanted, they've given us," Trump said.
Jorge Rodríguez, brother of the acting president and head of Venezuela's National Assembly, said a "significant number" of people would be freed. However, by late Thursday, the exact identities and total number of those released remained unclear. The Venezuelan government maintains it does not hold political prisoners, framing the action as "a gesture by the Bolivarian government, which is broadly intended to seek peace."
High-Profile Figures Regain Freedom
Among those confirmed released is Biagio Pilieri, an opposition leader involved in Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado's 2024 presidential campaign. Also freed was Enrique Márquez, a former electoral authority and 2024 presidential candidate. The information was provided by Foro Penal, a prisoner advocacy group based in Caracas.
Videos on social media showed emotional reunions. Márquez was seen beaming during a video call with family, saying, "Soon I will be with you all."
Five Spanish citizens were also released, including the prominent Venezuelan-Spanish lawyer and human rights activist Rocío San Miguel. As the night progressed, reports indicated more detainees were walking free. Outside a prison in Guatire, relatives chanted "Libertad! Libertad!" (Freedom! Freedom!).
Cautious Hope and Stolen Years
For opposition leader María Corina Machado—whom Trump has snubbed by endorsing Rodríguez—the gesture was "an act of moral restitution." In an audio message from exile, she acknowledged the pain of lost time: "Nothing brings back the stolen years," she said, urging families to find comfort that "injustice will not be eternal."
Alfredo Romero, president of Foro Penal, expressed cautious optimism. He hoped this marked "the beginning of the dismantling of a repressive system" and not merely a symbolic gesture. His organization reported that as of December 29, 2025, there were 863 people detained in Venezuela for political reasons, a claim the government denies.
The Spanish government confirmed the release of its five citizens, who will soon return to Spain. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares identified the others as Andrés Martínez, José María Basoa, Ernesto Gorbe, and Miguel Moreno. Martínez and Basoa were arrested in September 2024 and accused of being Spanish spies plotting against Maduro's government—allegations Spain vehemently denied.
As news of the releases spread, families rushed to prisons nationwide. Pedro Durán, 60, flew from Spain to Guatire hoping to reunite with his brother Franklin, detained since 2021 on charges his family denies. "I don't have words to express the emotion I'm feeling," Durán said, while acknowledging persistent fear among families.
Analysts note the Venezuelan government has a history of using prisoner releases as strategic bargaining chips. In July of last year, 10 jailed U.S. citizens were exchanged for over 200 Venezuelans deported by the Trump administration. Ronal Rodríguez, a researcher at the University of Rosario in Bogotá, stated, "The regime uses them like a bargaining chip."
The releases follow the Trump administration's recent moves to assert control over Venezuelan oil, seizing sanctioned tankers and announcing plans to relax some sanctions to oversee global petroleum sales. Trump also mentioned that Machado may visit Washington next week, and he looked forward to potentially meeting her.
