Venezuela’s administration said Thursday that more than 300 individuals detained during demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro’s reelection had been freed from jail.
Following a crackdown after Maduro’s reelection, which the opposition claimed was a sham, the inmates were accused of “terrorism” and sent to maximum security prisons.
According to the interior ministry, authorities released 103 people this week, adding to the 225 detainees released in mid-November who were also detained due to post-election violence.
According to rights group Foro Penal, 190 people have been freed thus far, it told AFP.
At least 28 people were killed and almost 200 injured in the July 28 vote, which sparked violence that resulted in more than 2,400 arrests.
Maduro, who is to be sworn into office next month for a third six-year term, requested a review of the arrests following his reelection, the interior ministry said.
Despite claiming they were not involved in the protests, hundreds of family members had been demonstrating to call for the release of their loved ones.
Human rights advocates claim that in addition to being deprived of adequate food and medical attention, the detainees are being abused.
Only a few nations have acknowledged Maduro’s triumph, notably Russia, Venezuela’s allies.
With surveys predicting an easy victory, the opposition released comprehensive results at the polling station level, demonstrating that their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won by a significant margin.
Since Gonzalez Urrutia went into exile in Spain in September when a warrant was issued for his arrest, protests have mostly subsided.
