Venezuela says exiles welcome to return following mass amnesty

An estimated seven million Venezuelans have fled their homeland due to the political and economic crisis and many opposition figures live in exile.

A total of 34 prisoners were released Monday from the Rodeo I penitentiary east of Caracas to scenes of joy from waiting relatives.

Among those freed were military cadets accused of plotting a coup, as well as civilians linked to alleged assassination conspiracies -- categories of prisoners some fear the amnesty law wouldn't cover.

Grecia Arana ran and leapt into the arms of her husband Reinardo Morillo as he crossed the threshold into freedom. 

"This is how I dreamed it," she told AFP, laughing.

Scenes of celebration at the prison gates included several prisoners with shaved heads who shouted "We are free!" as they exited, ending an anguished wait by their families.

"We are completely free, without any restrictions," Luis Viera, one of the released prisoners, told AFP. He had been locked up for 13 months.

At the same time, the country's authorities are pressing for the release of Maduro, who is jailed in the United States.

Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto demanded the toppled president's immediate release.

Maduro, who was captured in a January 3 raid by the United States, is in custody in New York along with his wife, awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges.

The 63-year-old has pleaded not guilty and declared that he is a "prisoner of war."

"January 3, 2026, marked a turning point of extreme gravity," Gil told the top UN rights body, adding that the "illegal military action" by US forces left over 100 people killed.

- 'Reconciliation' aim -

Gil stressed that his country was "working toward a process of acknowledging past wounds, forgiveness and reconciliation," referring to the amnesty law.

The country's legislature unanimously adopted the landmark law last Thursday, and interim leader Rodriguez hailed its passage, describing it as a step toward "a more democratic, fairer, freer Venezuela."

Rodriguez's brother, parliament chief Jorge Rodriguez, said 1,500 people had applied for the amnesty, which covers a range of charges used to lock up dissidents during 27 years of hardline socialist rule.

Some 600 political prisoners remain behind bars throughout the country, according to Foro Penal -- an NGO dedicated to the defense of political prisoners.

Approximately 500 people have been released since January.

- Thaw with West -

Opposition figures have criticized the new legislation, which appears to exclude some offenses previously used to target Maduro's political opponents. Nor does it include military offenses, such as attempted coups.

Since Maduro's ouster, Rodriguez has worked closely with the United States, and the amnesty law has helped accelerate a thaw in Venezuela's ties with the broader West.

The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Monday she would propose lifting EU sanctions on Rodriguez, who previously served as Maduro's vice president.

Elsewhere, the UN rights office said it was in talks with Caracas to reopen its mission in Venezuela. Its staff were expelled in February 2024.

In a further sign of a break with the past, Rodriguez dismissed from her cabinet the wife of Alex Saab, a businessman accused of serving as Maduro's frontman in corruption schemes.

Saab was indicted in the United States for money laundering but returned to Venezuela in 2024 as part of a prisoner swap to take up the role of industry minister.

Rodriguez removed him from his position in January.

On Monday, she sacked his wife, Camilla Fabri, who served as deputy minister for international communication.

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