Political prisoners released in Venezuela remain in the crosshairs of Chavismo

IACHR President Edgar Stuardo Ralón Orellana also exposed a significant discrepancy between official numbers of released political prisoners and independently verified data. According to him, while the Venezuelan regime, now under the command of Delcy Rodríguez, claims that more than 8 thousand people have benefited from the amnesty law enacted in February 2026, independent civil organizations register only 186 people with full freedom – and another 554 still remain under precautionary measures.

“Prohibition of leaving the country, periodic appearance before courts, prohibition of demonstrating or speaking to the press. This is not freedom: it is supervised freedom,” said Ralón Orellana.

According to the report presented at this Wednesday’s session by the executive secretary of the IACHR, Tania Reneaum Panszi, as of April, 454 people remain detained for political reasons in Venezuela, including 44 women, a teenager, 286 civilians and 186 military personnel. The organization also reported that at least 18 people died in the custody of the Venezuelan State.

The Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin, took the floor during this Wednesday’s session to demand the immediate release of all Venezuelan citizens detained in the country for political reasons and reinforce the importance of allowing visits in loco from the OAS to the country. According to Ramdin, keeping people in prison for reasons of conscience or dissent “represents a serious setback for the rule of law and prevents the return to democratic normality.”