Venezuela says 116 prisoners released, rights groups cite much lower figures

Family members of detainees wait outside the National Police Zone 7 Detention Centre as Venezuela's government begins releasing some detainees, with the freeing of political prisoners marking a move long demanded by human rights groups, international bodies and opposition leaders, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 12, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria

Jan 12 (Reuters) - Venezuela's government said on Monday ‌that 116 prisoners have so far been released as part of process announced last week, though rights ‌groups reported a lower figure as family members of the detained awaited liberations, with some sleeping outside ‌prisons.

By late afternoon on Monday, Unidad Venezuela, a group of opposition parties, said just 65 people had been freed so far, urging the Venezuelan government in a post on X to "speed up the release process so that the suffering of political prisoners and their families can finally come to ‍an end."