CARACAS: Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa on Sunday was released after more than eight months in prison for what are widely considered to be politically motivated accusations.
Guanipa, one of the closest allies of opposition powerhouse María Corina Machado, had been held at a detention facility in the capital, Caracas. His release comes as the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez faces mounting pressure to free hundreds of people whose detentions months or years ago have been linked to their political beliefs.
“Today, we are being released,” Guanipa, standing with an armored vehicle and officers behind him, said in a video posted on X. “Much to discuss about the present and future of Venezuela, always with the truth at the forefront.”
Venezuelan-based prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal confirmed the release of at least 18 people on Sunday.
In addition to Guanipa, Machado’s political organization said some of its local political organizers as well as her attorney, Perkins Rocha, were among those freed.
