Tarazona Released as Venezuela Moves to Free Political Prisoners

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Caracas: Prominent Venezuelan human rights activist Javier Tarazona was released on Sunday after more than four years in detention, becoming one of the highest-profile beneficiaries of a broader move by the government toward freeing political prisoners.

Tarazona, director of the non-governmental organisation FundaRedes, had been held at the notorious El Helicoide detention centre in Caracas since mid-2021 on charges including terrorism and conspiracy that human rights groups denounced as politically motivated.

His release came amid a wave of prisoner releases this week following an announcement by interim President Delcy Rodríguez that her administration would introduce a general amnesty law expected to affect hundreds of political detainees. That initiative is part of a broader effort to ease political tensions and reform Venezuela’s penal framework.

According to the legal advocacy group Foro Penal, more than 30 individuals including other activists and people considered political prisoners were freed on Sunday as part of the ongoing release process, though rights groups say the pace remains slow compared with the total number still behind bars.

Rodríguez’s proposed amnesty law is intended to cover a wide range of detainees held for political reasons over many years, though it excludes those convicted of serious crimes such as murder and drug trafficking. In her announcement last week, she also indicated plans to transform El Helicoide long criticised by international watchdogs for alleged abuses into a community centre focused on sports and social services.

Tarazona’s family and supporters celebrated his release, with his brother noting that after 1,675 days in prison, the activist was finally reunited with loved ones and free to continue his work.

Rights advocates and civil society organisations have welcomed the releases as a step toward justice but continue to urge that remaining political prisoners be freed and that charges against them be dropped.