Over 400 prisoners freed in Venezuela — top lawmaker
A rights group says the number is much lower and ranges between 60 to 70.
Venezuela's top lawmaker, Jorge Rodriguez, has said that over 400 people had been freed from prison as part of the process announced last week, intended as a gesture of peace.
Rights groups have said the number of releases ranges from 60 to 70, while complaining about the slow pace and lack of information. On Monday, Venezuela's penitentiary authority said that 116 people had been freed from prison.
Foro Penal, a leading local NGO that works on legal support for detainees, said at least 800 “political prisoners” were behind bars at the beginning of the year.
The government says it does not hold political prisoners and that those arrested have been charged with legitimate crimes.
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, has been one of the leading voices demanding the release of prisoners, some of whom are her close allies.