Venezuela Frees Political Prisoners in Bid to Seek Peace

Relatives of prisoners wait in front of El Rodeo jail in Caracas on Jan. 8, 2026. Venezuelan authorities are releasing a ‘large number’ of prisoners, some of them foreigners, parliament speaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Jan. 8, 2026. Pedro Mattey/AFP via Getty ImagesVenezuela’s interim administration has begun releasing political prisoners, days after U.S. forces captured its president last week to face criminal charges in the United States.National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, the brother of interim President Delcy Rodríguez, said on Jan. 8 the government has decided to release “a significant number” of Venezuelan and foreign detainees as a gesture affirming its “broad intention to seek peace.”