At least 107 people detained after Venezuela’s controversial July 28 elections have been released.
Releases Were Verified
Alfredo Romero, director of the NGO Foro Penal, confirmed the releases on social media platform X.
The detainees had been imprisoned following protests over the elections, which the opposition claims were fraudulent, according to El Economista.
Those freed include notable figures like José Ramón Díaz, former mayor of Marcano, and Salvador Rivera, a psychology professor at the Central University of Venezuela.
Their releases were verified by the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory and the University’s Professors’ Association. Other detainees were released from prisons such as Yare III and Tocorón in Aragua state.
The exact legal terms of their release remain unknown.
Criticized by Human Rights Groups
Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, recently announced a review of judicial measures for 225 detainees. Saab described the effort as a step toward "family reunification."
This initiative comes after President Nicolás Maduro requested a reassessment of cases to address potential errors.
Saab emphasized the process is led entirely by the Venezuelan government and criticized NGOs for attempting to take credit.
The releases follow violent unrest triggered by the elections. The protests left 28 people dead and nearly 200 injured. Over 2,400 people were detained.
Opposition candidate Edmundo González claims he won the presidency and has published 80% of vote tallies to support this. The official results declared Nicolás Maduro the winner.
The timing of the releases is notable. They occurred two days after the death of Jesús Martínez Medina, a detainee who had been in custody since July.
Martínez Medina, a witness for the opposition at a polling station, reportedly died from untreated Type II diabetes.
Human rights groups have criticized the government’s handling of detainees. The opposition continues to call for international oversight of Venezuela’s election process.
