The US authorities have communicated that all American citizens detained in Venezuela have been released, in what is called a great diplomatic concession by the new leadership in Caracas.
“We are pleased to confirm the release by the provisional authorities of all known US citizens detained in Venezuela,” announced theUS Embassy in Caracas via social media.
Release of American prisoners and turning point in US-Venezuela relations
The release of the Americans comes as the new head of the US diplomatic mission for Venezuela, Laura Dogu, is expected today in Caracas. His arrival is part of a process aimed at re-establish diplomatic relations between Washington and Caracas, interrupted since 2019.
Dogu will land at the international airport of Maiquetía, which serves the Venezuelan capital, as confirmed by a diplomatic source atAFP.
His appointment, which took place on Jan. 22, represents the highest U.S. diplomatic authority in the country after an ambassador and marks a historic turning point in bilateral relations, less than a month after the capture of the president Nicolás Maduro by the US military on January 3.
The general amnesty announced by the interim government
The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, promised a new phase of collaboration with Washington, announcing a general amnesty, one oil law reform and a reform of the judicial system.
The announcement of the amnesty was made during an event at the Supreme Court of Justice, as reported by El País.
“I announce a general amnesty law and order that this law be presented to the National Assembly to promote coexistence in Venezuela,” Rodríguez declared. “I ask everyone not to impose violence or revenge, so that we can all live with respect”, he added, specifying that the decision had already been discussed with Nicolás Maduro
The reactions of the opposition and the role of US pressure
Maria Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader ofVenezuelan opposition, claimed that the general amnesty is the result of pressure exerted by the United States after Maduro’s capture.
«It is not a voluntary gesture by the regime, but the response to pressure from the United States government. I hope that the prisoners will soon be able to reunite with their families,” the neighbor wrote on social networks Colombia.
Hundreds of political prisoners involved
Second El Paísthe amnesty could concern hundreds of political prisoners still held in Venezuelan prisons. The announcement comes nearly a month after the phased releases began after January 3.
During this period, according to the Chavista regime, they would have been freed over 600 prisoners, while for the associations that defend prisoners the number would be 302.
Rodríguez also announced that El Helicoide, the prison symbol of the regime’s repression, will be transformed into a social and sports center for the community. The interim president also committed to fight corruption in the judiciary.
A broader grace, but with precise limits
The measure aims to cancel charges against released prisoners and represents a much broader grace than those in force up to now. Previously, in fact, many released prisoners remained subject to precautionary measures, such as travel bans, restrictions on public statements and work restrictions, making them vulnerable to new forms of pressure or extortion.
The future law, Rodríguez clarified, will exclude from the amnesty those convicted for murder, drug trafficking and common crimes.
Delcy Rodríguez’s personal speech
“I come to this Chamber as president, but also as a lawyer,” Rodríguez said in front of a limited audience. «My father was imprisoned and died due to torture. I believe in the Constitution, in national sovereignty and in justice for the Venezuelan people.”
The interim president remembered her father, a convinced Marxist and founder of the movement in which Nicolás Maduro took his first political steps, assassinated while in prison. “We need more justice, with greater legal protection,” he concluded.