The Daily Journal – The Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence, promoted by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, announced Friday that courts had granted alternative measures to imprisonment to 131 people who had remained in custody over their alleged involvement in crimes against the country’s democratic order and peace.
The country’s courts decided at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office after the Program called for a review of the legal status of these defendants or convicted individuals. In an official statement dated August 14, the Program reiterated its commitment to “supporting initiatives by the National Government and organized civil society” to promote reconciliation among Venezuelans and consolidate peace.
The announcement comes as part of a national pacification and reconciliation process that has included the release of several groups of detainees in recent months. Human rights organizations have already confirmed several names, while others have circulated in the media and on social networks:
- Jesús Antonio Castro: an officer with the Bolivarian National Police Corps who authorities detained on December 13, 2019.
- Emirlendris Benítez: a businesswoman whom authorities detained while she was pregnant in 2018 and accused of participating in the alleged assassination attempt against Nicolás Maduro. A court sentenced her to 30 years in prison. According to documentation from Amnesty International and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), she lost her baby while in custody. She suffered lasting health complications that require her to use a wheelchair.
- Yolimar Alemán: detained in connection with Operation Gideon.
- Daniel Zambrano: held in custody since May 28, 2022.
- Samaira Romero: a former member of the military detained in connection with Operation Gideon.
- María Auxiliadora Marrufo: wife of retired Italian-Venezuelan military officer Juan Carlos Marrufo.
These releases come after Dinorah Figuera, president of the 2015 National Assembly, published on her X account on Wednesday, August 12, the document outlining the results of the first round of talks with the Venezuelan government.
Representatives of the 2015 National Assembly and the current National Assembly launched a political dialogue process after direct discussions between Figuera and Jorge Rodríguez, president of the government-aligned legislature, to seek “agreements and paths toward a political transition.”
However, the dialogue report makes no mention of restructuring the National Electoral Council (CNE) or holding elections in Venezuela, two key issues for the opposition.
For its part, the government announced alternative measures to imprisonment for 131 people, although human rights organizations have so far verified fewer releases, suggesting that the process remains ongoing.
