Guatire (Venezuela) (AFP) - The Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, María Corina Machado, visited on Friday relatives of political prisoners who have been camping for more than 300 days in front of a feared prison on the outskirts of Caracas.
First modification: 06/11/2026 - 20:59
Machado was received near the Rodeo I prison by about 100 relatives of political prisoners, amidst slogans. "Release all political prisoners," said one banner.
Surrounded by the relatives of the detainees and under a strong sun, the leader read a list with the names of more than 400 political prisoners and the years each of them has been serving.
They add up to 1,456 years "that were taken from just these Venezuelans," he stated.
"Freedom for all political prisoners, justice for the victims, reparation for their families, memory so that they are never forgotten and guarantees so that this never happens again," he said after finishing reading the list.
The opposition leader visits this camp after her return to Venezuela on October 25 after almost ten months in exile.
The camp was set up a few days after the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a US military operation in January.
"We will not rest until the last political, civil and military prisoner obtains full freedom," said Machado.
"There are thousands persecuted, thousands tortured," in addition to the fact that "23 political prisoners have died in captivity of the regime" since 2015, he indicated.
Around a thousand political prisoners have been released this year in Venezuela in the midst of an amnesty promoted by the interim president, but the NGO Foro Penal denounces that more than 300 remain behind bars, of which 68 in Rodeo I.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez to "continue the release of political prisoners who remain" detained.
© 2026 AFP
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