Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced this Friday a general amnesty law intended to “heal the wounds” left by political confrontation in the South American country. The measure would benefit political prisoners detained since 1999, encompassing the period of Chavismo governments.
Amnesty Law Proposed
During the opening of the judicial year at the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), Rodríguez tasked the Judicial Revolution Commission and the Program for Coexistence and Peace with presenting the law to the National Assembly (AN, Parliament) – which is dominated by the Chavismo movement – “in the coming hours,” and with providing the legislative body with “maximum collaboration” for its approval.
“Let this be a law that serves to heal the wounds left by political confrontation, from violence, from extremism, that serves to redirect justice in our country and to redirect coexistence between Venezuelans,” she added.
Exclusions and Facility Closure
Rodríguez indicated that the proposed law would exclude those processed or convicted of homicide, drug trafficking, and human rights violations. Additionally, the official called for the conversion of El Helicoide, the headquarters of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin) in Caracas – which has been identified by NGOs and opposition groups as a center of “torture” – into a social and sports center.
US Influence and Opposition Response
The proposal comes weeks after US President Donald Trump, with whom Rodríguez’s acting government has been engaging, spoke of closing a “torture chamber” in the Venezuelan capital. Opposition leader María Corina Machado asserted that the amnesty law is “a product of real pressure” from the United States and expressed her hope that it will become a reality. “Obviously, this is not something the regime voluntarily wanted to do, but rather a product of the real pressure it has received from the US government,” she stated during a discussion with journalist Michael Stott at the Hay Festival in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
Machado, a 2025 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, said that in the oil-rich country, “the regime’s repressive apparatus is brutal” and “has responded to the interests of the multiple criminal forces that make up this regime.” She also stated that Venezuela has “political prisoners who have been in prison for 23 years,” including three metropolitan police officers, and others who have “been disappeared.” According to the NGO Foro Penal, there are 771 political prisoners in Venezuela.
Cautious Optimism and Calls for Closure
Opposition lawmakers have celebrated the announcement of the amnesty law, while also calling for the legislative text to definitively end “repression” and “persecution” in the country. Deputy Henrique Capriles stated on X that the amnesty is a “necessary and very important step” towards the country that “the vast majority of Venezuelans” want. He believes the announcement of the law and the potential closure of El Helicoide “touches the conscience of the country and restores hope to thousands of Venezuelan families who have suffered injustice and persecution.” Deputy Stalin González added that the proposal opens a new page for “democratic coexistence” and hopes it will be a broad measure guaranteeing the freedom of all political prisoners, and that the physical closure of El Helicoide “transcends to end repression and persecution.”
Meanwhile, the NGO Provea pointed out that political prisoners have been detained arbitrarily, and therefore, the State should not be the one “to forgive,” but rather those responsible for serious crimes should “apologize to the victims and society, and assume their responsibility before Justice for the abuses committed.” Families of political prisoners in Venezuela expressed feeling “hopeful” following the announced amnesty law proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the proposed amnesty law?
The amnesty law is intended to “repair the wounds” left by political confrontation in Venezuela and would benefit political prisoners detained since 1999.
Who will not be eligible for amnesty under the proposed law?
Those processed or convicted of homicide, drug trafficking, and human rights violations will be excluded from the amnesty.
What is the status of El Helicoide?
The acting president has called for El Helicoide, currently the headquarters of the Sebin intelligence agency, to be converted into a social and sports center.
As this law moves to the National Assembly, will it truly deliver on its promise of reconciliation, or will its limitations and the political context shape a different outcome?
