The political prisoners launched the hunger strike on Friday evening to demand their release under a new amnesty law that excludes many of them. More than 1,500 political prisoners in Venezuela have already applied for amnesty under the bill.

According to the NGO Foro Penal, although the Caracas government has already released 450 political prisoners under pressure from the US, more than 600 remain behind bars.

More than 600 people may be in custody for political reasons, one Venezuelan rights group estimates.