Call for Release of Political Prisoners in Venezuela
The Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, urged Venezuela’s socialist government on Wednesday to free all remaining political prisoners.
The OAS’s Permanent Board discussed the troubling situation involving hundreds of political prisoners currently held by Venezuela’s regime. As of Monday night, the total stood at 777 political prisoners, according to the non-governmental organization Foro Penal, which noted that there are 863 confirmed political prisoners as of the end of 2025.
In a recent update, Foro Penal confirmed two new releases. They provided a detailed breakdown of these releases, which was forwarded to the OAS for verification on Tuesday.
During his address to the OAS Permanent Council, Ramdin acknowledged receipt of information from Foro Penal and other organizations regarding political prisoners in Venezuela. This is aligned with the OAS’s Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Ramdin emphasized that while the OAS welcomed the recent releases, the fact that hundreds remain imprisoned still poses a significant barrier to normalizing Venezuela’s institutions. “We continue to call on the Venezuelan authorities to expedite these releases—not just for humanitarian reasons, but to show readiness for political stability,” he stated, suggesting that such actions could signal progress toward democracy.
He also encouraged Venezuelan officials to allow the IACHR to conduct a visit alongside Venezuela’s ongoing democratic transition efforts.
According to Foro Penal, 151 political prisoners have been released thus far, with 143 since January 8. This surge in releases followed a statement by President Donald Trump, who indicated he had halted additional military interventions after the socialists agreed to release “a large number” of political prisoners.
About half of those released were either foreigners or Venezuelans with dual citizenship. One released prisoner, Camilo Pierre Castro, recounted his experiences, including claims of severe mistreatment during his incarceration.
U.S. Ambassador to the OAS, Leandro Rizzuto, expressed support for the release of the recent 143 individuals but pointed out that over 1,000 people remain unjustly detained. He called for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Venezuela, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
The Venezuelan regime, however, denies holding political prisoners, claiming that these individuals were, in fact, “formerly imprisoned” under an alleged order from President Nicolas Maduro before his capture.
