Trump’s Pledge on Venezuelan Political Prisoners

During a press briefing on Tuesday, President Trump announced his commitment to securing the release of all political prisoners currently held by Venezuela’s socialist government. He stated, “We’re going to get rid of them all,” adding that many political prisoners have already been freed. He expressed confidence that the rest would follow suit.

Over the nearly three decades of its rule, Venezuela’s socialist regime has detained thousands unlawfully, including minors, often branding them as political prisoners on dubious charges like “treason” and “conspiracy.” Recently, the NGO Foro Penal reported a staggering 19,092 instances of political detention since 2014.

Foro Penal, which is frequently referenced by both the Organization of American States (OAS) and the UN Human Rights Office, noted earlier this year that by 2025, 857 political prisoners would likely be documented in Venezuela.

In the wake of the January 3 arrest of socialist leader Nicolás Maduro in a US operation, Venezuela, now led by “acting president” Delcy Rodriguez, has started to work with the United States. As part of this agreement, some political prisoners have begun to be released. However, as of now, reports show that numerous political prisoners are still unjustly incarcerated in the country.

Foro Penal has indicated that as of last week, there are still 457 confirmed political prisoners in Venezuela, including 42 foreign nationals. Of these, 414 are men and 43 women; notably, 293 remain imprisoned without conviction.

While the existence of political prisoners in Venezuela is well-documented, officials like Congresswoman and former Prisons Minister Iris Varela deny it. During a recent hearing, she reiterated this stance, stating, “There are no political prisoners in Venezuela.” According to her, no one is jailed simply for differing opinions, claiming that crimes are “forgiven” under amnesty laws.

In recent months, some political prisoners were freed under an “amnesty law” quickly approved by the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). However, this law has been criticized for its limited scope, and its benefits only address a short timeline of Venezuela’s ongoing political crisis. Despite official claims of over 8,600 benefitting from this law, many opposition figures and groups have raised doubts about this number.

Trump’s statements come at a time when Venezuela is grappling with the shock of his administration acknowledging the death of political prisoner Víctor Hugo Quero Navas, who had been missing since January 2025. His elderly mother, Carmen Teresa Navas, spent 16 months searching for him before confirming his death, reportedly from acute respiratory failure while in custody.

The circumstances surrounding Quero Navas’s death have sparked worries regarding other political prisoners who are considered missing by their families. An example includes Beatriz de Marino, an 83-year-old whose son, rescue expert Hugo Marino, hasn’t been heard from since his arrest in 2019. She has accused the regime of enforced disappearance, last seeing her son when he arrived in Venezuela from abroad.