Venezuelans await release of more political prisoners; ousted president Maduro ‘doing well’

CARACAS – Venezuelans were waiting for more political prisoners to be released on Jan 11, as ousted president Nicolas Maduro defiantly claimed from his US jail cell that he is “doing fine” after .

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez has begun to free prisoners jailed under Maduro, saying a “large” number would be released in a gesture of appeasement for which Washington took credit.

Ms Rodriguez, Vice-President under Maduro, said Venezuela would take “the diplomatic route” with the United States, with US President Donald Trump claiming it was “in charge” of the South American country
.

“Venezuela has started the process, in a big way, of releasing their political prisoners. Thank you!” Mr Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on the night of Jan 10.

He added: “I hope those prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done.”

Rights groups estimate there are 800 to 1,200 political prisoners held in Venezuela.

Maduro and his wife were captured in a dramatic night-time raid on Jan 3 that began with air strikes across Caracas. They were taken to New York City by US forces to stand trial on drug trafficking and weapons charges
.

Anxiety over prisoners

Only 21 people had been released by the evening of Jan 10, including several prominent opposition figures, prisoners’ rights groups and the opposition said.

A detained police officer accused of “treason” against Venezuela had also died in state custody, the opposition and rights groups said on Jan 10.

“We directly hold the regime of Delcy Rodriguez responsible for this death,” Primero Justicia (Justice First), which is part of the Venezuelan opposition alliance, said in a statement on X.

Anxious relatives have camped outside jails, awaiting the promised release of political prisoners.

Families held candlelight vigils outside El Rodeo prison east of Caracas and El Helicoide, a notorious prison run by the intelligence services, displaying signs with the names of their imprisoned relatives.

“I am tired and angry,” Ms Nebraska Rivas, 57, told AFP as she waited for her son to be released from El Rodeo.

“But I have faith that they will hand him over to us soon,” she said after sleeping on the pavement outside the prison for two nights.

‘Trust blindly’

Maduro claimed he was “doing well” in jail in New York, his son Nicolas Maduro Guerra said in a video released by his party on Jan 10.

Around 1,000 protesters, waving flags and placards with the face of the ex-leader and his wife Cilia Flores, rallied in the west of Caracas and a few hundred in the eastern Petare district.

“I will march as often as I have to until Nicolas and Cilia come back,” said demonstrator Soledad Rodriguez, 69.

“I trust blindly that they will come back – they have been kidnapped.”

The demonstrations were far smaller than Maduro’s camp had mustered in the past, and top figures from his government were notably absent.

Ms Rodriguez was instead seen attending an agricultural fair.

She has moved to placate the powerful pro-Maduro base by insisting Venezuela is not “subordinate” to Washington, and vowed in televised comments that she would “not rest for a minute until we have our president back”.

The other two hardline powers in his government, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, were also not seen at the rallies.

Oil talks

Mr Trump vowed to secure US access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves
following Maduro’s capture, and Ms Rodriguez has pledged to cooperate.

The White House said Mr Trump has signed an emergency order protecting US-held revenues derived from sales of Venezuelan oil, preventing them from being seized by courts or creditors.

Mr Trump pressed top oil executives at a White House meeting on Jan 9 to invest in Venezuela’s reserves, but was met with a cautious reception.

Chevron is currently the only US firm licensed to operate in Venezuela, through a sanctions exemption.

Experts say Venezuela’s oil infrastructure is creaky after years of mismanagement and sanctions.

Washington has also confirmed that US envoys visited Caracas on Jan 9 to discuss reopening their embassy there.

The Venezuelan government did not respond when asked whether the US officials had met with Ms Rodriguez.

The US embassy in Colombia warned on Jan 11 that “the security situation in Venezuela remains fluid” and advised Americans to leave “immediately” as commercial flights become available. AFP