Rubio presses Venezuela to free final 322 political detainees

The United States has formally requested that Venezuela release the 322 political prisoners still in custody, according to the US State Department. Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, held a meeting on Monday with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco. The two officials discussed the immediate release of these detainees and the structural reforms required to prepare for future elections.

Foro Penal, a Venezuelan prisoners' rights organization, reports that 322 individuals remain detained. This figure follows a major reduction in the political prisoner count since January 3, when US military forces removed President Nicolás Maduro from power in Caracas. Maduro has since been transferred to New York to face trial on charges of drug trafficking and torture. Over 1,000 political prisoners have been freed during this period.

The detention of these individuals largely began after the contested 2024 presidential election. The National Electoral Council, which is controlled by government loyalists, declared Maduro the winner despite opposition tallies and independent media verification suggesting a different outcome. The Carter Center, which deployed independent observers, stated that the election process could not be considered democratic. A United Nations fact-finding mission later concluded that the government orchestrated harsh repression against perceived political opponents and critics.

María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, has long advocated for the release of these prisoners. She returned to Venezuela on October 25 after nearly a year in exile. Among her first actions was meeting with the relatives of the current detainees. She continues to push for a specific electoral timeline, initially proposing July 24, 2027, which marks the birth anniversary of Simón Bolívar. She has since broadened this to a general call for a vote within the next year.

Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as interim president following Maduro's removal, has the backing of the Trump administration. However, domestic opposition parties have expressed frustration with the pace of changes. In a televised address this week, Rodríguez confirmed that elections would be held under a renewed electoral authority but did not specify a date. In a statement from Monday, the US State Department reaffirmed its commitment to a three-phase plan involving stabilization, economic recovery, and democratic transition.

Rubio emphasized the urgency of the situation in a previous interview with journalists. He stated that Venezuela's election infrastructure must be replaced for new votes to be valid. He argued that the process needs to happen quickly within established timelines, rejecting longer periods of ten, five, or two years. This pressure aligns with the US goal of ensuring the upcoming democratic transition is credible and timely.