Venezuela Releases 99 Detainees Linked to 2024 Election Protests Amid Ongoing Tensions
Venezuela announced the release of 99 detainees connected to protests following the July 28, 2024 elections, marking the largest such release in the country this year. The government framed this move as an expression of unrestricted respect for human rights despite what it describes as ongoing US aggression.
The detainees were said to have been held for violence and incitement after the elections. Releases took place in the early hours of Christmas Day, December 25, 2025. However, no prominent opposition figures were among those freed.
Civil society groups have cautioned that the releases are selective and insufficient, with estimates indicating that between 900 and 1,000 political prisoners remain in detention. Most of those released will remain under conditional liberty, including travel bans, regular court appearances, and media-restriction conditions. Independent verification of the count of 99 released detainees has not been confirmed.
Among those not released is 17-year-old Gabriel José Rodríguez Méndez, who was previously convicted of terrorism related to post-election protests. Opposition figure María Corina Machado remains in exile after traveling to Norway to receive her Nobel Peace Prize.
The Maduro regime continues to deny the existence of political prisoners, instead portraying the release as a step toward peace amid what it calls an imperialist siege and multilateral aggression. This announcement comes as the United States has increased pressure on Venezuela through a large offshore military presence, oil tanker blockades and seizures, and other related actions.
