Delcy Rodríguez announces an amnesty to "repair wounds" in Venezuela

BarcelonaVenezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, proposed yesterday, Friday, the approval of a general amnesty law to "repair the wounds" left by the political confrontation in the South American country, a measure that will benefit the detained political prisoners From 1999 to the present, the period covering the Chavista governments.

At the opening ceremony of the judicial year at the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of the South American country, Rodríguez instructed the Commission for Judicial Revolution and the Program for Coexistence and Peace to present the law to the National Assembly, the Parliament, in the "coming hours." Deputies favorable to the current regime hold a majority in the Venezuelan Parliament, so the measure has a high probability of passing without obstacles.

"May it be a law that serves to heal the wounds left by political confrontation, by violence, by extremism; may it serve to restore justice in our country and may it serve to restore coexistence among Venezuelans," said Rodríguez, who is serving as interim president from the United States and was transferred to a New York prison on January 3. The Venezuelan president indicated, however, that this amnesty will exclude people prosecuted or convicted of homicide, drug trafficking, and human rights violations.

Rodríguez also requested that El Helicoide, the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) in Caracas, denounced as a center of "torture" by NGOs and opposition members, be converted into a social and sports center. He announced the proposal weeks after US President Donald Trump, with whom Rodríguez's government is engaged in negotiations, spoke of closing a "torture chamber" in the Venezuelan capital.

So far, Rodríguez's government has released more than one hundred people detained for opposing Chavismo, despite criticism from the opposition, which considers the releases insufficient.

Return of the exiles

Venezuela's main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), has demanded that the amnesty include the "immediate, full, and unconditional" release of all political prisoners, as well as "the return of all exiles" and the annulment of their political disqualifications. They emphasize that more than 800 civilians and military personnel remain imprisoned, and that among the more than 300 released in the process announced in early January, most have open legal cases with precautionary measures in place. According to the NGO Foro Penal, there are currently 771 political prisoners in Venezuela.