Venezuela Announces Broad Amnesty

(MENAFN) Venezuela’s interim head of state revealed the introduction of an amnesty statute that would apply to hundreds of detainees, while also announcing that the Helicoide detention facility in Caracas—frequently accused of being a venue for torture—will be converted into a center dedicated to athletic activities and community services.

Addressing an event that marked the opening of the new judicial year at the Supreme Tribunal of Justice in the capital, Delcy Rodriguez stated on Friday that the pardon would encompass cases dating from 1999 up to today, as reported by the media.

She clarified, however, that the measure would not extend to individuals charged with narcotics trafficking, murder, graft, or abuses of human rights.

According to Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, the decision did not stem from a “voluntary” initiative by the authorities, but rather resulted from pressure exerted by the United States.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal conveyed cautious hope in response to the announcement.

"A general amnesty is welcome as long as its elements and conditions include all of civil society, without discrimination, do not become a cloak of impunity, and contribute to dismantling the repressive apparatus of political persecution," said Alfredo Romero, head of the group, through US social media company X.

For years, the Helicoide prison has been regarded by rights advocates as an emblem of alleged state repression and has been widely denounced as a location where inmates suffered mistreatment.

Separately, during a Jan. 3 military operation in Venezuela, the United States detained President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and transferred them to New York, where both entered pleas of not guilty to charges involving drugs and weapons.

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