Venezuelan journalist freed in prisoner release as liberations slowly proceed

Journalist Luis Eduardo Lopez Torres hugs his sister Beatriz after being released from prison, as Venezuela's government continues to free detainees, a move long demanded by human rights groups, international bodies, and opposition leaders, in Guatire, Venezuela, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Gaby Oraa

Jan 14 (Reuters) - Venezuelan journalist union SNTP ‌said on Wednesday that politician and journalist Roland Carreno has been freed in an ‌ongoing prisoner release, as families continue to anxiously await an unknown number of releases ‌promised by the government and hailed by the United States.

The releases, announced last week, are moving slowly, according to advocacy groups and families. Human rights organizations count some 800 political prisoners currently in the country, but so far just dozens ‍have been freed.