For decades Venezuelan National Assembly has rejected any move that may offer clemency for those imprisoned on political grounds, and this latest legislation that paves the way for hundreds to be released from prison demonstrates a radical departure from the current regime.
On the 19th of February, a bill to grant amnesty to hundreds of Venezuelans imprisoned or charged for offenses of a political nature over the past decades passed unanimously by the National Assembly, and it was signed into law the next day by interim President Delcy Rodríguez. The law covers acts connected to political opposition and protest during many political crisis since 1999 to 2025. Politicians, activists, lawyers, journalists, and other members of civil society will gain from this legal framework.
For the regime and its sympathizers, the law signifies a decisive step towards reconciliation, democracy, and political normalization after several years of isolation due to international pressure and political shifts in Venezuela. Mrs Rodriguez declared that “the wish to ask for forgiveness and get forgiveness”, and to reach reconciliation as part of the efforts to overcome deep-rooted differences, is the main driver behind the legislation.
One of the first to be released, opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa was finally free after several months of detention and house arrest. His release has led him to demand a general inclusion process to also cover those still imprisoned or living abroad in exile.
Yet, many rights organizations and other parts of the opposition believe the amnesty is incomplete and discriminatory. Human rights activists and opponents of the current administration highlight that the legislation explicitly denies any benefits to those charged or found guilty of aggravated crimes or any other more serious offenses, like murder, crimes of an armed nature, corruption, and human rights violations.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain urged the European Union to lift the sanctions imposed against Rodríguez after her country adopted the amnesty bill on the grounds of a process of democratic normalization of the Venezuelan political situation. Nonetheless, no decision has been taken by the EU about the removal of sanctions yet.
It is calculated that there are still over 600 people in detention for political reasons, even if several political prisoners have been released from jail recently, according to a human rights group.