More than 200 political prisoners begin a hunger strike in Venezuela, their relatives report

Caracas.- More than 200 political prisoners from El Rodeo I prison, including foreign detainees such as the Argentinian Nahuel Gallo, began a hunger strike to demand their release, family members of these people reported this Sunday, three days after the enactment of the Amnesty Law. In a post on X, the NGO Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (Clipp) indicated that 213 people started the protest inside the prison, which is located on the outskirts of Caracas, according to a video published by the organization in which family members report the hunger strike. "They denounce the lack of timely medical attention and demand compliance with the releases, as well as the cessation of the violation of their human rights," specified the Clipp.

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Health Problems in Prison

Former opposition deputy Juan Pablo Guanipa, released this week after the approval of the Amnesty Law, warned on X that "the vast majority" of those held in that prison are in a "precarious state of health." The political leader, collaborator of the leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, cited a post on X by Maria Alexandra Gómez, partner of the gendarme Nahuel Gallo, in which she indicated that the Argentine is among the participants in the protest, as she was informed, although she did not specify the source. Gómez, who is Venezuelan, held the prison authorities responsible for the health of the officer, arrested in December 2024, and the other detainees. The president of the Parliament, the Chavista Jorge Rodríguez, assured on Saturday that from that same afternoon "hundreds of releases" were taking place, without detailing the number or identities of those benefited. However, the opposition political bloc Democratic Unity Platform (PUD) said on Saturday night that it had only confirmed 19 releases after the enactment of the amnesty, while the NGO Foro Penal, which leads the defense of political prisoners, verified 16 by noon on Sunday.

Amnesty does not cover all political prisoners in Venezuela

The amnesty enacted on Thursday theoretically covers the period between 1999 and 2026, but specifies 13 political junctures since 2002, which excludes arrests that occurred in at least 15 of the last 27 years, as well as cases related to military operations.

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Foro Penal estimated on Friday that at least 400 political prisoners could be excluded from the rule, while it counts more than 600 detainees for these reasons who remain incarcerated. The Government denies that there are people detained in Venezuela for political reasons and claims that they committed crimes, a statement rejected by the PUD and several NGOs.