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Venezuela to Adopt General Amnesty Law Amid US Pressure

Published February 12, 2026, 12:18
Venezuela to Adopt General Amnesty Law Amid US Pressure

The Venezuelan parliament is in the final stages of approving a general amnesty law under strong US pressure. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who took office after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, promoted the law as part of a series of concessions, including access to the country's oil resources. The law is expected to lead to the release of hundreds of political prisoners, with over 400 already released on parole. The discussion of the bill coincides with Youth Day in Venezuela, with students calling for protests and the ruling party organizing a march in Caracas. Public consultation on the law included lawyers, opposition representatives, and families of prisoners. Attorney General Tarek William Saab stated that the US should respond to the amnesty by releasing Maduro and his wife, who are detained in New York. Simultaneously, Rodríguez ordered the closure of the notorious El Helicoide prison, known for its torture practices. The president of the parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, pledged that all political prisoners will be released immediately upon the law's approval. However, opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa was released only to be rearrested hours later and placed under house arrest, accused of violating the terms of his release.