Venezuelan authorities said Saturday that at least 1,557 people detained for political reasons have submitted applications under an amnesty law signed this week, with hundreds already being released. The amnesty marks a reversal for Venezuelan authorities, who have long denied holding any political prisoners. The measure follows the January capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military raid.

The amnesty signals an apparent shift in Venezuela’s approach to its political opposition, though human rights groups have criticized both the law’s scope and the pace of releases.

Venezuelan authorities said Saturday that 1,557 people detained for political reasons have submitted amnesty applications since the law took effect Thursday, with hundreds already being released.

Jorge Rodríguez, the National Assembly leader, said that 1,152 new applications were received by Saturday, adding to previous submissions. “At this moment hundreds of releases of persons deprived of liberty who are benefiting from the Amnesty Law are already taking place,” he said.

On Friday night, Jorge Arreaza, president of the special commission overseeing the amnesty, said 379 applications had been received. Gonzalo Himiob, vice president of Foro Penal, a Venezuelan prisoners’ rights group, said releases had taken place in Barinas, in the southwestern part of the country, though verification was still underway.

The amnesty represents a reversal for Venezuelan authorities, who have long denied holding any political prisoners. The measure follows the January capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military raid.

In the days after that raid, the government announced it would release significant numbers of prisoners. A nonprofit justice organization, Justice, Encounter and Forgiveness, has documented 459 releases of detainees held for political reasons between January 8 and February 20.

The amnesty law excludes people convicted of homicide, drug trafficking, serious human rights violations, and military rebellion. Delcy Rodríguez, who has served as acting president since January 5, said when signing the law that it showed Venezuelan political leaders were “letting go of a little intolerance and opening new avenues for politics in Venezuela.”

The law grants amnesty for crimes or offenses committed during specific periods since 1999 marked by political conflict, including what the government describes as “acts of politically motivated violence” tied to the 2024 presidential election.

Opposition and Context

Human rights groups say the law does not go far enough. Alfredo Romero, president of Foro Penal, said that excluding imprisoned military personnel and persecuted political figures was “discriminatory and unconstitutional,” and that without applying the amnesty more broadly, “there can be no talk of national coexistence.”

Relatives and human rights organizations have also criticized the slow pace of releases and the restrictive conditions placed on many of those freed.

The push for prisoner releases follows the 2024 presidential election, whose aftermath resulted in protests and the detention of more than 2,000 people, including minors. The amnesty law aims to address the political conflicts that have marked Venezuela since 1999.