Maduro frees dozens of election protesters as US pressure builds

Nicolas Maduro’s government has released dozens of prisoners detained during protests against his disputed victory in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, in a move that comes amid intensifying pressure from the administration of Donald Trump.

At least 87 detainees were freed, according to two rights groups, marking the second such release in less than a week. Some observers see the step as an attempt by Maduro to project a more conciliatory posture internationally, even as he accuses Washington of trying to overthrow his government and seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners and the Committee of Mothers in Defense of the Truth confirmed the releases on Thursday.

“On the morning of January 1, mothers and relatives reported new releases of political prisoners from Tocoron prison in Aragua state,” the Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners said on social media.

The Maduro administration had earlier announced the release of 99 prisoners on December 25, calling it “a concrete expression of the State’s commitment to peace, dialogue and justice”. However, the rights group Foro Penal said it could initially verify only 61 of those releases.

Maduro claimed victory in the July 2024 election, securing what he says is a third six-year term. The opposition alleges widespread fraud and later published vote tallies, verified by independent experts, showing a landslide win for Edmundo Gonzalez.

Gonzalez ran in place of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was barred from standing. Machado resurfaced recently in Oslo after spending months in hiding.

The disputed vote triggered nationwide protests that left at least 28 people dead and led to thousands of arrests. Official figures indicate that about 2,000 people have since been released, though more than 700 are still believed to be held for political reasons.

The election fallout has reinforced the Trump administration’s campaign against Maduro, whom US officials accuse of running a drug trafficking operation aimed at destabilising the United States. Since August, Washington has surged military assets off Venezuela’s coast, imposed a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers and carried out strikes on alleged drug boats in regional waters. More than 100 people have been killed in those operations, which rights groups have described as extrajudicial killings.

Earlier this week, Trump confirmed the first US strike on Venezuelan soil, targeting a dock he said was used to load drug boats.