Rubio presses Venezuela to free final 322 detainees
The US Secretary of State met with Caracas officials to discuss releasing the last group of political prisoners and setting a timeline for new elections.
By Aaron Foster ·
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco on Monday to demand the release of 322 political prisoners still held in custody. The two officials also discussed reforms necessary to prepare for new elections, according to the US State Department.
The number of detainees has dropped sharply since US forces seized President Nicolás Maduro in a military raid on Caracas on January 3. Maduro was transported to New York, where he now faces trial on drug trafficking and torture charges. Foro Penal, a local human rights group, states that more than 1,000 political prisoners have been freed during this period.
The release of these individuals has been a central demand of María Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Machado returned to Venezuela on October 25 after nearly a year in exile. She met with families of the remaining detainees shortly after her arrival.
Most of the current detainees were arrested following the contested 2024 presidential election. The National Electoral Council, which is dominated by government allies, declared Maduro the winner despite opposition tallies and independent media verification suggesting the other candidate had won. The Carter Center, which deployed independent observers, stated the vote could not be considered democratic. A UN fact-finding mission later found that the government orchestrated harsh repression against perceived opponents.
Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice-president, was sworn in as interim president following his capture. While the Trump administration supports her, domestic opposition parties have expressed frustration with the slow pace of changes. The State Department confirmed its commitment to a three-phase plan involving stabilization, economic recovery, and democratic transition.
Rubio told journalists last week that Venezuela’s election infrastructure must be replaced for new votes to be valid. He insisted the process needs to happen quickly under established timelines, rejecting longer timeframes. Days later, Rodríguez addressed the nation on television, confirming elections would occur under a renewed electoral authority. She did not specify a date for the vote.
Machado is pushing for the election to take place in 2027. She previously cited July 24, 2027, the anniversary of Simón Bolívar’s birth, as a target date but has since broadened her call to any point within the next year.
