Venezuela Proposes Amnesty for Political Prisoners Since 1999

Betsy Orellana hasn't heard from her imprisoned son in six months, but now she's celebrating what she calls "total liberation" after Venezuela's acting president announced a sweeping amnesty proposal.

Delcy Rodriguez unveiled plans Friday to pardon all political prisoners arrested during Venezuela's 27 years of authoritarian rule. The proposal covers everyone detained for political reasons since 1999, when Hugo Chavez first took power.

Rodriguez made the announcement at Venezuela's Supreme Court, surrounded by top government officials. She took office less than four weeks ago after former president Nicolas Maduro was toppled in a U.S. military operation.

The changes are happening fast. Rodriguez plans to close El Helicoide, a massive Caracas prison where human rights groups documented torture of political prisoners. The building, originally constructed as a shopping mall, will become a sports and cultural center instead.

For families camped outside prison walls waiting for news, the announcement brings cautious hope. Since January 8, fewer than 300 political prisoners have been released, according to rights group Foro Penal. Many families have been waiting weeks with little information about their loved ones.

Rodriguez paired the amnesty with plans for broader justice reform. She announced a "major national consultation" to rebuild Venezuela's judicial system from the ground up.

Why This Inspires

After decades of authoritarian rule marked by fraudulent elections and human rights abuses, Venezuela is taking concrete steps toward healing. Mothers like Betsy Orellana are getting their children back. A building synonymous with torture will host community events instead.

The changes reflect pressure from multiple directions. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, credits U.S. government pressure for pushing Rodriguez to act. But regardless of motivation, real people are gaining freedom.

All Americans known to be imprisoned in Venezuela have now been released. One political prisoner, Arturo Gallino Rullier, was already on his way to the United States Friday.

The U.S. responded by lifting its ban on flights to Venezuela and rolling back oil sanctions. A senior diplomat arrives in Caracas Saturday to reopen the American embassy after years of closure.

Opposition lawmaker Tomas Guanipa, whose two brothers remain imprisoned, hopes this marks the end of an era. Thousands of families are hoping the same thing as they wait for the amnesty law to become reality.