CARACAS, Feb 21, (V7N) - Families in Venezuela continued to wait anxiously outside prisons Friday as uncertainty surrounded a new mass amnesty law enacted by interim authorities following the US toppling of Nicolas Maduro.
The National Assembly unanimously adopted the law Thursday, raising hopes for the release of hundreds of political prisoners. However, opposition figures criticized carveouts excluding those accused of aiding foreign armed actions against Venezuela’s sovereignty, such as opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Members of the security forces convicted of terrorism-related activities are also excluded.
Relatives outside prisons expressed concern. Hiowanka Avila, whose brother was arrested in 2018 over an alleged drone assassination plot against Maduro, said: “Many of us are aware that the amnesty law does not cover our relatives.”
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez defended the law, saying Venezuela is “building a more democratic, more just, and freer” society. Rights groups, however, warned it could excuse past abuses under Maduro and Hugo Chavez.
Opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa announced his release after the bill’s passage, calling for all political prisoners to be freed. Exiled opposition figure Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia said reconciliation requires accountability, stressing that “a responsible amnesty is the transition from fear to the rule of law.”
Hundreds remain detained, according to NGO Foro Penal, which noted that amnesty is not automatic and requires court processes.
END/WD/RH
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