There's Been a Major Development Regarding Political Prisoners in Venezuela

Earlier today, I wrote about Marco Rubio vs. Delcy Rodríguez making public statements about Fidel Castro on X. I joked that it was the best way to end the week — Delcy stirred up a little drama, and our dear Secretary of State reminded her who she's currently working for: 

This is the best way to end the week. 🤭 pic.twitter.com/2AMrwcKUIa

— SarahDownSouth (@SarahDownSouth) August 14, 2026

Well, I stand corrected. There's a better way to end the week in Latin American news coverage, and it's the release of several more political prisoners in Venezuela. 

I was incorrect before. This is the best way to end the week. ❤️ https://t.co/jsZdkoOAe4

— SarahDownSouth (@SarahDownSouth) August 14, 2026

Here's what we know. 

First, just to recap, shortly after we captured Nicolás Maduro, Delcy's brother, Jorge, the head of Venezuela's current fake National Assembly, announced that the interim regime would release its political prisoners. That was on January 8, and over the next month, hundreds were, indeed, released, but the flow slowed and eventually stopped completely. I tried to keep up with it, but there was really no point anymore, and I had several of you ask me what happened. My response was to ask Rubio and Donald Trump because I wasn't sure.  

I've learned a little more since then, and while I still don't have the answers, I have heard some ideas. Many of the prisoners still being held in the torture and detention centers are military personnel, long-term detainees, or people the government still treats as legitimate criminal cases. Processing might be a bit different in those cases. There is also the fear that releasing them all at once, especially these high-profile and military cases, could lead to some chaos. None of that is good enough for the opposition and the majority of the Venezuelan people who call for the release of every single political prisoner every day, and I agree with them, but Rubio promises that in the end, they will all be freed.   

We saw some promise of that on Friday afternoon. Team Delcy announced that the regime was providing 131 more prisoners with "alternative liberty restriction measures." That means that some of these 131 people might be able to go home but face conditions like house arrest, reporting requirements, travel bans, etc.   

This comes after the first formal cycle of U.S.-backed talks with an opposition delegation led by Dinorah Figuera, the last head of the National Assembly legally recognized by the United States. (There's actually some more progress being made there regarding the path toward elections, and I'll write more at length about that this weekend or next week — I was just getting ready to call it a day when I heard news of the political prisoners and wanted to let y'all know.) Figuera has actually been meeting with the family members of political prisoners this week and promising that they will be free in the days to come. 

Rubio also mentioned the release on X as a "crucial step for the nation's reconciliation process." He claims that "Since January 3rd, 1,046 Venezuelans have been released."  

The recent release of over 130 political prisoners in Venezuela is a crucial step for the nation's reconciliation process. Since January 3rd, 1,046 Venezuelans have been released.

As we continue to advance the three-phase plan, the United States continues to closely monitor the…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 14, 2026

The problem is that up until today, 400, give or take, have not. The human rights group Foro Penal, which is usually most accurate, says that as of Friday morning, 391 were still locked up. That includes 228 civilians and 163 members of the military. At least 40 are not Venezuelan, and at least one's whereabouts are unknown. So, this isn't a done deal, but 131 is progress.   

One of the more notable releases was 45-year-old Emirlendris Benítez. Her story will break your heart. She's a merchant who sold clothing and cosmetics, but she was locked up in 2018 on a day when a failed drone attack disrupted a Maduro military parade. She was driving in a car that day with a man who was either her boyfriend or husband — I'm not clear on that — their dog and two other passengers. She was pregnant at the time. 

Police stopped their car at a checkpoint and arrested her, despite there being no evidence that she was involved in the drone incident. She was charged with attempted qualified homicide, terrorism, treason, association for delinquency, launching explosive devices in public spaces, and property damage, and she was sentenced to 30 years in prison. 

While detained, she was tortured and abused, according to her family and human rights groups. That included beatings, being thrown against walls, and asphyxiation with plastic bags. The baby died, and Emirlendris herself is in a wheelchair now due to partial paralysis, disc hernias, chronic nerve damage, and pain, among other issues from which she will likely never recover. She was repeatedly denied proper medical care. 

Thank God she's free today, but she lost so much in those eight tragic years. Here she is reuniting with her family: 

Nunca más se debe repetir en Venezuela el horror sufrido por Emirlendris Benítez.

Nunca más un venezolano debe ser perseguido, encarcelado y torturado por sus ideas.

Nunca más una familia rota por tanta crueldad.#NuncaMás pic.twitter.com/kSVqdrzOkV

— Gabriel Bastidas (@Gbastidas) August 14, 2026

I'll wrap up now — while a few dozen of the prisoners are verified as freed, the entire 131 have not been released just yet, but I suspect that will happen over the next several days. I'll keep an eye on it.  

Recommended: Hey Delcy, Marco Would Like a Word

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