Venezuela releases from prison some of the thousands detained after presidential election

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Non-governmental organizations in Venezuela on Saturday announced the release from prison of some of the thousands of people who were detained during and after the deadly anti-government protests that followed the July presidential election, whose results remain under dispute.

Their release happened a day after the attorney general, who is loyal to the ruling party, announced the review of 225 cases linked to the aftermath of the election, which President Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González both claim to have won.

The Venezuelan-based organizations Penal Forum and Venezuelan Prison Observatory announced the prison releases on X, but it was not immediately clear the exact number of people who were freed. The latter organization said the release came with certain conditions, which it did not explain further.

Images shared on social media by the Observatory show women tearfully hugging loved ones outside a prison in the South American country. The organization described the releases as a “victory” and demanded that all who remain in prison for their roles in the election and activities in its aftermath be freed.

Maduro’s government has come under heavy criticism for the election’s lack of transparency and the repression unleashed in its aftermath, including the arrests of political leaders, lawyers, poll workers, election volunteers and protesters, both minors and adults.

Relatives of those who were detained during a government crackdown following anti-government protests against the results of the presidential election, wait outside the Yare 3 prison in San Francisco de Yare, Venezuela, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, after Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced the release of some. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)

The protests erupted after Venezuela’s electoral authorities declared Maduro had won the July 28 contest and alleged they could not publish precinct-level results because their website had been hacked. At the same time, the main opposition coalition announced it had secured vote tally sheets from more than 80% of the electronic voting machines used across the country, published them online and declared that its candidate, González, had defeated Maduro by a landslide.

The government’s arrest tally included about 2,400 people. Government officials, including Attorney General Tarek William Saab, have strongly defended the detentions, but earlier this week, Maduro called on Saab and judges to ensure “justice” in the event that a case “needs to be rectified and reviewed.”