Venezuela began to release political prisoners; Milei's government awaits three detained Argentinians

Buenos Aires. – The Venezuelan regime announced the release of a “significant number” of political prisoners, among whom there would be foreign citizens. The measure generated immediate expectations in Argentina, where Javier Milei 's government is closely following the situation of three compatriots detained in Venezuela: gendarme Nahuel Gallo, lawyer Germán Giuliani and Yacoov Harari.

Although the official announcement did not include specific figures or identities, releases began to be recorded a few hours later. The confirmation was made by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, who maintained that it is "a unilateral gesture of peace" and denied that the decision had been agreed upon with the United States or other international actors.

The first released were high-profile political figures: Enrique Márquez, former presidential candidate arrested in January 2024, and Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of Edmundo González Urrutia, opposition leader who proclaimed himself president-elect after exhibiting records of the 2024 elections, whose official results were never published by Chavismo. In Spain, the release of five detainees who returned to Spanish territory this Thursday was confirmed: the Basque tourists Andrés Martínez Adasme and José María Basoa Valdovinos; the Canarian Miguel Moreno; the Valencian Ernesto Gorbe; and the Spanish-Venezuelan Rocío San Miguel, human rights activist and director of the NGO Control Ciudadano. Two of them had been accused of alleged links with the National Intelligence Center (CNI).

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In Italy, the Government celebrated the release of businessman Luigi Gasperin, 77 years old, while awaiting news about another 28 Italian citizens held in Caracas. In Argentina, meanwhile, the expectation is focused on the situation of Gallo, Giuliani and Harari. The NGO Foro Penal reported this week that in Venezuela there are still 806 people detained for political reasons, including 175 military personnel, 105 women and one teenager. Its president, Fernando Romero, confirmed that they are verifying each release and warned that, until Thursday afternoon, they had only been able to verify the release of five political prisoners. "We hope it is not an isolated gesture, but the beginning of a true process of national reconciliation," he said.