A leading Venezuelan human rights group says at least 80 political prisoners have been released under pressure from the US.
Alfredo Romero, head of Foro Penal, said his group was verifying the identities of those freed from prisons across the country on Saturday - and more releases were likely to take place.
It is the latest batch of detainees released since the US seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a raid and took him to New York to stand trial on drug-trafficking charges earlier this month.
On Friday, Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez said more than 600 prisoners had been freed - but Foro Penal states this figure has been inflated.
Romero announced the releases on social media. He also posted an image of Foro Penal colleague Kennedy Tejeda who he said had been held in Tocorón prison, west of the capital Caracas since August 2024.
In a post on X, Foro Penal lawyer Gonzalo Himiob noted that the number of releases could rise above 80 'as we proceed with verification'.
Previously, Foro Penal mentioned that many of those freed in recent weeks have not had the charges against them dropped, leaving them in legal limbo, preventing them from speaking publicly.
Before this weekend's developments, the group confirmed just 156 political prison releases since 8 January. Among those freed so far are several domestic opposition figures and at least five Spanish nationals.
Additionally, Rodriguez was set to have a call with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, to request the UN verify the list of those released.
Human rights groups and activists have continually accused the government of using detentions to silence critics, a claim the Venezuelan government denies, asserting that detainees were arrested for criminal activities. Many were detained following the disputed results of the 2024 presidential election, where Maduro claimed victory amidst widespread opposition and skepticism.
