Pressure from Trump led to the release of prisoners in Venezuela

According to White House deputy spokeswoman Anna Kelly, the release of the detainees is a direct example of the Trump administration’s use of political and diplomatic pressure.

“This is an example of how the president is using maximum pressure to do what is right for both the American and Venezuelan people,” he said.

The United States’ position came after the president of the Venezuelan Parliament, Chavista Jorge Rodríguez, announced that the regime had decided to release “an important number” of Venezuelan citizens and foreigners imprisoned for political reasons. According to Rodríguez, the measure would be a “unilateral gesture” with the aim of preserving peace and coexistence in the country, and release procedures would have already begun.

Rodríguez did not detail how many people will be released or the timeline for the process. Human rights organizations estimate that Venezuela holds between 800 and 900 political prisoners, the majority detained during the period in which Maduro was in power.