The White House celebrated Thursday the release of political prisoners in Venezuela, calling the move an example of how U.S. President Donald Trump is using “his maximum influence” to push for actions that, according to the U.S. government, benefit both the American and Venezuelan people.
White House deputy press secretary for international affairs, Anna Kelly, said in a statement that this release is one of the first effects of the new political relationship between Washington and Caracas following the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of “narcoterrorism” and bringing him to New York to face charges in the U.S. justice system.
Venezuela releases political prisoners
Venezuela announces the release of domestic and foreign political prisoners
Venezuela began releasing a “significant number” of political detainees on Thursday.
Relatives of the hundreds of people detained for political reasons in Venezuela began to arrive at the… pic.twitter.com/TGXvmY3udv
– DW English (@dw_english) January 9, 2026
The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly and chief negotiator of Chavismo, Jorge Rodríguez, announced on Thursday the immediate release of “a significant number” of people imprisoned in Venezuelan and foreign jails, without specifying how many or their identities.
According to various reports by independent organizations, such as Foro Penal, there were hundreds of politically motivated detainees in Venezuela as of the end of December 2025, with numbers exceeding 800.
Although so far only a few people have been confirmed to have been released, it is still unknown whether all of the announced releases have been fully executed.
Venezuelan authorities have described this action as a “unilateral gesture” to consolidate peace and peaceful coexistence in the South American country.
This in a context of deep political turmoil since the 2024 elections and accelerated changes following Maduro’s capture.
The official U.S. version
So far we can confirm the following releases of political prisoners who were being held at the Helicoide headquarters of SEBIN.
Larry Osorio Chia.
Partial releases are not a favor. They are an obligation of the State in the face of crimes that never… pic.twitter.com/dwxG85JnCd
– Helicoid Reality (@RHelicoide) January 9, 2026
Anna Kelly highlighted that this release is an example of how Trump is “doing the right thing,” using the influence of his office to promote actions on behalf of both U.S. and Venezuelan citizens.
The White House statement is part of a broader position of the U.S. government on the situation in Venezuela since the operation that led to the arrest of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas.
So far there has been no official confirmation from Washington as to whether the released are U.S. citizens or dual nationals.
Although international media have reported that at least five released Spanish citizens are already flying back to Spain as part of this process.
International reactions
Releases of political prisoners in Venezuela begin!!!!! THANK YOU President Donald J. Trump @POTUS, THANK YOU @SecRubio, THANK YOU United States.
VENEZUELA FREE 🇻🇪💯🔥✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/kPPS39MfeZ
– Ines del alma mía (@InesBetancur1) January 8, 2026
The news has generated mixed responses from the international community.
Brazil and Colombia, for example, applauded the decision to release prisoners, considering it a step towards peace, although they also expressed concern about the use of force in Venezuela by the United States.
Human rights groups have expressed caution, recalling that Venezuela still holds hundreds of political detainees and that transparency on releases is limited.
For the Hispanic community in the United States, many of whose relatives live in Venezuela or have ties to detainees, this release is seen as a possible relief after years of political and human rights crises in that country.
However, uncertainty about how many political prisoners remain and what will happen to the overall civil rights situation in Venezuela remains a matter of deep concern.
