Victor Borjas, a former political prisoner from Venezuela, surprised his two daughters during an emotional reunion on Sunday, donning a teddy bear costume after more than a year of being apart due to wrongful imprisonment.
Borjas, affiliated with the Popular Will Party, was among many detained as political prisoners by the Venezuelan government. He was reportedly arrested on January 9, 2025, in Maracaibo, Zulia state, by officials from the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence during a peaceful protest supporting Edmundo González, who had contested President Nicolás Maduro in a contested election in July 2024.
Subsequently, Borjas spent over a year in Tocolon prison in Aragua state, a facility that gained notoriety as the base for the Torren de Aragua, a group designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. until the prison was left empty after a raid in September 2023. Prior to the raid, the gang had transformed Tocolon, adding numerous amenities, including a zoo, bar, and even a cryptocurrency farm. In August 2024, Maduro ordered Tocolon to be converted into a “re-education center” for those against the socialist regime.
The Venezuelan government released Borjas along with several other political prisoners, and he returned home to Maracaibo the same day. A video shared by former lawmaker Lester Toledo showed Borjas in the teddy bear costume, joyfully embracing his daughters after lifting the headpiece of the costume, clearly overwhelmed with emotion.
Shortly after his arrest, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued a precautionary measure in favor of Borjas and fellow activist Manuel Muñoz, citing urgent risks to their rights. Muñoz was released on January 15, 2025.
As of late 2025, according to the Venezuelan NGO Foro Penal, there were 863 political prisoners in the country. Following a U.S. law enforcement operation aimed at detaining Nicolás Maduro and his wife, on January 8, 2026, Jorge Rodriguez, the president of the Socialist-controlled National Assembly, announced plans to release a “significant number” of political prisoners.
After this announcement, President Trump shared on Truth Social that he had canceled further action in Venezuela due to the regime’s agreement to release many prisoners. However, as of the latest reports, only 266 prisoners have been confirmed released since Rodriguez’s announcement, including 104 on Sunday, based on data from Foro Penal.
Among those recently released was 25-year-old Kevin Orozco, who had been detained since 2024 over alleged involvement in protests after the elections. His release came shortly after the death of his mother during a vigil outside Tocolon, where supporters were calling for the release of political prisoners.
The Venezuelan government disputes the existence of political prisoners, insisting that recent releases are part of a decree by Maduro aimed at investigating detainees accused of violence. Diosdado Cabello, a prominent figure in the government, claimed the released individuals were merely “criminals” receiving “another chance” from the regime.
Delcy Rodriguez reportedly stated on a broadcast that as of that day there were “626 formerly incarcerated people” in Venezuela, adding that she had communicated with U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk to verify the claims. However, Foro Penal has challenged these numbers, asserting that only 151 individuals have actually been released so far.
