Venezuela Releases High‑profile Detainees After US Pressure

Venezuela has released a large number of high‑profile political prisoners, including several foreigners, in what appeared to be a concession to the United States, just days after US forces captured President Nicolás Maduro.

The releases on Thursday were the first under interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, who took office following Maduro’s arrest and tranfer to the US for trial.

Rodríguez, the former vice president, has the backing of US President Donald Trump, who said he was willing to work with her government as long as Washington gains access to the country’s oil.

Among those freed was former opposition presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, who opposed Maduro in the disputed 2024 election. In a video shared by a local journalist, Márquez said, “It’s all over now,” alongside his wife and another released activist, Biagio Pilieri.

Parliament speaker Jorge Rodríguez, Delcy Rodríguez’s brother, confirmed that both Venezuelan and foreign nationals were being freed to promote peaceful coexistence, though he did not provide exact figures.

Spanish authorities confirmed that five Spanish citizens were among those released, including human rights lawyer Rocío San Miguel, who had been jailed since February 2024 over alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate Maduro, charges she denied.

Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado welcomed the move, saying, “Injustice will not last forever and … truth, although it be wounded, ends up finding its way.”

The White House credited President Trump with helping secure the prisoners’ release. “This is one example of how the president is using maximum leverage to do right by the American and Venezuelan people,” said Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly.

Maduro was captured in a US military operation earlier in January, which involved air strikes and raids in Caracas. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken to New York to face trial on drug charges.

Trump has said the US would oversee Venezuela during a transitional period and access its oil reserves. He also announced plans to sell millions of barrels of Venezuelan crude, with proceeds used to buy American products.

Speaking on US television, Trump said Venezuela is “not in a position to hold new elections.” “We have to rebuild the country. They couldn’t have an election,” he said. “They wouldn’t even know how to have an election right now.

Meanwhile, Trump said he looks forward to meeting Machado in Washington next week. In a surprising gesture, Machado offered to share her Nobel Prize with Trump, who said that it was a “major embarrassment” he did not win.