Families of Venezuelan prisoners demanded the release of nearly 800 people still detained on Tuesday, with relatives calling for the government to expand releases beyond what they said had been a limited start. The appeals came as families waited outside prisons in Caracas after the government’s announcement that it would free a “significant number” of prisoners held under Nicolás Maduro.
The relatives said they had been waiting for weeks following the announcement. They reported spending two weeks outside prisons after the government said it would release a “significant number” of detainees. The push for further releases also came amid criticism that the government had released only a handful of people.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to the report, vowed last week to keep releasing prisoners after the criticism. She described the move as “a new political moment” for Venezuela, framing the releases as part of a broader shift.
The appeals landed in the context of Venezuela’s political upheaval earlier this month. Maduro was deposed in early January in an overnight U.S. military raid, setting off a scramble over what would happen to detention cases tied to the prior government.
For prisoner advocates, the announcement has not ended the pressure families describe. Alfredo Romero, the leader of Foro Penal, said released people may not be locked up anymore, but that they remain “far from free.” He said restrictions commonly continue after release, including gag orders on speaking to the media and mandatory check-ins with authorities.
Romero also said some people who have been released are blocked from leaving the country. “These people are not free,” Romero said. “They are subjected to constant, latent persecution.”
In its latest verification, Foro Penal reported that it had confirmed the release of 145 people it considers “political prisoners” as of Tuesday. Romero said around 775 more still remain in detention.
In Caracas, families gathered near Helicoide prison, where activist groups have said government opponents are held. The report said families spent two weeks camped out outside Helicoide, with relatives displaying posters with the names of people they said are missing.
Francis Quiñones, whose son has been detained for more than five years, described the difficulty of waiting without access to her family member. She said she hasn’t been able to speak to him in more than six months. “Here we are waiting. … Every day, we’re out here outside the Helicoide,” Quiñones said. “(The government) is killing us psychologically.”
The families’ pressure has also taken on a vigil-like character, with the report describing a row of tents along the curb and relatives lighting candles in a gathering over the weekend.