Relatives hug during a demonstration demanding the release of political prisoners in Caracas on January 30, 2026. JUAN BARRETO / AFP
Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez announced on Friday, January 30, a push for mass amnesty in the country, in her latest major reform since the US toppling of Nicolas Maduro just weeks ago. Rodriguez, in a speech at the Venezuelan Supreme Court attended by top government officials, said she will propose a "general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present."
Leftist revolutionary Hugo Chavez assumed the presidency in 1999, and was succeeded upon his death in 2013 by Maduro.
"This law will serve to heal the wounds left by political confrontation, fueled by violence and extremism. It will allow us to put justice back on track in our country," Rodriguez said, also announcing a "major national consultation for a new judicial system."
She also announced plans to close the notorious El Helicoide prison in Caracas, where rights groups say political prisoners were tortured by Maduro's intelligence services. The massive facility, originally built as a shopping mall, will be turned into a "sports, cultural and commercial center for police families and neighboring communities," Rodriguez said.
