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Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Friday announced a proposed amnesty law that could pave the way for the release of hundreds of people jailed for political reasons, including opposition figures, journalists and human rights activists. The long-demanded measure, backed by the United States-supported opposition, marks the latest concession by Rodríguez since she assumed control on Jan 3, following the dramatic removal of then president Nicolás Maduro in a US military operation in Caracas. Addressing a gathering of judges, ministers, senior military officers and other officials in a prerecorded televised event, Rodríguez said the ruling party-dominated National Assembly would consider the bill on an urgent basis. “May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism,” she said. “May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans.” She also announced the closure of Helicoide, a notorious detention center in Caracas where independent organizations have repeatedly documented torture and other abuses. Rodríguez said the facility would be converted into a sports, social and cultural complex for police and nearby communities. The announcement was made in the presence of several officials whom former detainees and rights groups have accused of ordering abuses at Helicoide and other prisons. Outside Helicoide, relatives of detainees watched Rodríguez’s speech on mobile phones, some in tears as others chanted, “Freedom! Freedom!” “God is good. God heard us,” said Johana Chirinos, an aunt of one prisoner, as she cried. Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado said in a statement that the measures were not adopted “voluntarily, but rather in response to pressure from the US government.” She noted that people have been imprisoned for political activities for periods ranging from one month to 23 years. “The regime’s repressive apparatus is brutal and has responded to the numerous criminal forces that answer to this regime, and it is all that remains,” Machado said. “When repression disappears and fear is lost, it will be the end of tyranny.” According to the Venezuelan prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal, 711 people are currently detained nationwide for political reasons, including 183 who have already been sentenced. Among those still imprisoned after the 2024 presidential election are former lawmaker Freddy Superlano, Machado’s lawyer Perkins Rocha, and Juan Pablo Guanipa, a former governor and close ally of Machado. The government did not release the text of the proposed bill, leaving unclear how eligibility for amnesty will be determined. Rodríguez said the “general amnesty law” would apply to the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present, but would exclude those convicted of murder, drug trafficking, corruption or human rights violations. Earlier this month, Rodríguez’s administration announced plans to free a large number of detainees as a goodwill gesture, but families have criticised the slow pace of releases. “A general amnesty is welcome as long as its elements and conditions include all of civil society, without discrimination, that it does not become a cloak of impunity, and that it contributes to dismantling the repressive apparatus of political persecution,” Foro Penal president Alfredo Romero said on social media. The group said 302 detainees have been released since the Jan 8 announcement. Human rights organization Provea also criticised the lack of transparency and the gradual nature of the releases, stressing that freeing those still detained is urgent. It said an amnesty should not be framed as a pardon or act of clemency by the state. “We recall that these people were arbitrarily imprisoned for exercising rights protected by international human rights instruments, the National Constitution, and Venezuelan laws,” Provea said. The US State Department confirmed on Friday that all known US citizens held in Venezuelan prisons had been released. It also said Laura Dogu, who will serve as Washington’s top diplomat in Venezuela, was due to arrive in Caracas on Saturday. Outside another detention center in the capital, Edward Ocariz, who was jailed for more than five months after the 2024 election, joined families demanding the immediate release of detainees. “We, Venezuelans, have all endured so much, all unjust, merciless and trampling on our dignity,” Ocariz said. “No one deserves this. And today, the guilty continue to govern Venezuela.”

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has instructed U.S. officials to reopen Venezuela’s commercial airspace, a major step toward easing travel restrictions and potentially allowing American citizens to visit the South American country again. Trump said he informed Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez of the decision and directed U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and top military leaders to implement the reopening by the end of the day. Speaking from the White House, Trump told reporters that “American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” signalling a shift in U.S. policy after years of diplomatic rupture. Venezuela’s government had not immediately responded to the announcement. Earlier this week, the Trump administration notified Congress of initial steps to possibly reopen the long‑closed U.S. Embassy in Caracas, part of efforts to restore diplomatic ties following a controversial U.S. military operation that ousted former President Nicolás Maduro. The State Department said in letters dated Monday that it plans a phased approach to gradually resume embassy operations with a growing number of temporary staff conducting select diplomatic functions. Diplomatic relations between Washington and Caracas collapsed in 2019, as the U.S. government raised its travel advisory for Venezuela to the highest “Do not travel” level, citing risks of wrongful detention, torture and kidnapping for U.S. citizens. The State Department still maintains that warning, and has not confirmed any changes in its advisory despite Trump’s airspace announcement. In November, Trump had escalated tensions by declaring that the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be considered closed, prompting the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to alert pilots about increased military activity in the region and leading major airlines to cancel flights. The move to reopen Venezuelan airspace comes as American carriers eye resuming services that have been suspended for years, marking a potential revival in commercial links between the two nations.

U.S. military forces on Tuesday boarded and took control of a seventh oil tanker linked to Venezuela as part of the Trump administration’s drive to assert control over the South American country’s oil sector. U.S. Southern Command said in a social media post that American forces apprehended the Motor Vessel Sagitta without incident, saying the tanker was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s declared quarantine on sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. The command did not specify whether the U.S. Coast Guard carried out the operation, as in previous seizures. The Pentagon and Southern Command said they had no additional details. The Sagitta, a Liberian-flagged tanker, is registered to a Hong Kong-based company. The vessel last transmitted its location more than two months ago after leaving the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. It was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department under an executive order tied to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Southern Command said the tanker had taken oil from Venezuela, adding that the seizure “demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.” The command released aerial footage showing the Sagitta at sea, though unlike earlier operations the video did not show U.S. helicopters approaching or troops boarding the vessel. Since the U.S.-led ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise overnight raid on Jan 3, the Trump administration has moved to take control of Venezuela’s oil production, refining and global distribution. Administration officials have said seizing tankers is part of an effort to generate revenue to rebuild the country’s battered oil industry and revive its economy. Trump met oil industry executives nearly two weeks ago to discuss plans to invest $100 billion in Venezuela’s energy sector and said the United States expects to sell between 30 million and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. has already taken 50 million barrels of oil out of Venezuela. “We’ve got millions of barrels of oil left,” he said. “We’re selling it on the open market. We’re bringing down oil prices incredibly.” The first tanker was seized off Venezuela’s coast on Dec 10. Most of the others were captured in nearby waters, except for the Bella 1, which was intercepted in the North Atlantic after abruptly turning back toward Europe on Dec 15 and was seized on Jan 7.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has said she will lead her country “when the right time comes” and expressed confidence that she will one day become Venezuela’s first woman president. Speaking to Fox News, Machado said she believes she has a mission to rebuild Venezuela and turn it into a prosperous nation. “I believe I will be elected when the right time comes as president of Venezuela,” she said. Her remarks came a day after she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump in Washington, calling it a recognition of his support for Venezuela’s freedom. Earlier this month, the United States seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and took him to New York to face drug and weapons charges. However, Trump has not endorsed Machado as Venezuela’s new leader, saying she lacks enough domestic support. Trump has instead engaged with Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president under Maduro. Machado said she has a mandate from the people and wants to serve her country in the most effective way. During her visit to Washington, she also met US senators at Congress as her supporters chanted “María, presidente” and waved Venezuelan flags. Meanwhile, Rodríguez held talks in Caracas with the CIA director on improving relations between the two countries. She later said Venezuela would face the US through political dialogue and announced oil sector reforms to attract foreign investment.   With inputs from BBC

Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Wednesday her government would continue releasing prisoners detained under former president Nicolás Maduro, describing the move as part of a “new political moment” following his removal by the United States earlier this month. Speaking at her first press briefing since Maduro was captured by US forces and flown to New York on Jan 3 to face drug trafficking charges, Rodríguez said the process of freeing detainees “has not yet concluded” and signaled that more releases were planned. Addressing reporters at the presidential palace in Caracas, she struck a conciliatory tone, promising a Venezuela that would allow political and ideological diversity while insisting that the rule of law would be strictly enforced. A leading Venezuelan human rights group estimates that about 800 political prisoners remain behind bars, including politicians, soldiers, lawyers and civil society activists. Rodríguez’s comments came after US President Donald Trump said he had held a “great conversation” with her, their first direct contact since Maduro’s arrest. “We had a long call. We discussed a lot of things, and I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela,” Trump said at the White House. Unlike previous speeches that echoed Maduro’s anti-US rhetoric, Rodríguez avoided mentioning Washington directly, even as relations between the two countries shift rapidly. She acknowledged that prisoner releases were under way, a move widely seen as encouraged by the Trump administration, but insisted that the process had begun under Maduro in December as a gesture toward dialogue and tolerance. “Crimes related to the constitutional order are being evaluated,” she said, referring to detainees held on charges that human rights groups say are politically motivated. “Messages of hatred, intolerance and acts of violence will not be permitted.” Flanked by National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, she took no questions and said Cabello was overseeing the release process, which critics say has been slow and opaque. Venezuela’s leading prisoners’ rights group, Foro Penal, confirmed that at least 72 detainees have been freed so far, including political activist Nicmer Evans, journalist Roland Carreño and two campaign aides of opposition leader María Corina Machado. However, Foro Penal says more than 800 prisoners remain in custody on political grounds and has criticised the government for a lack of transparency. Rodríguez rejected such claims, accusing what she called “self-proclaimed nongovernmental organizations” of spreading falsehoods about Venezuela. “There will always be those who want to fish in troubled waters,” she said, adding that her government was committed to letting “the truth be reported.”

Yaxzodara Lozada awoke shivering on Tuesday after spending the night on the sidewalk outside a Caracas prison, clinging to the hope that her husband, a police officer detained on Nov. 17, would be released under a goodwill measure announced by the government last week. Despite signs that daily life in Venezuela is slowly returning to normal, with shopping centers, schools and gyms reopening, the government’s pledge to release jailed opposition members, activists and journalists has moved far more slowly than expected, drawing growing criticism. The reopening comes a week after a dramatic U.S. operation that resulted in the detention of President Nicolás Maduro. Families of more than 800 people whom human rights groups classify as political prisoners began assembling outside detention centers on Thursday, following an announcement by acting President Delcy Rodríguez that a substantial number of detainees would be freed as a “peace-seeking” gesture. Authorities, however, have not disclosed how many prisoners would be released or who would qualify, leaving advocacy groups scrambling for information and relatives in limbo. Read More: Slow pace marks third day of prisoner releases in Venezuela after government goodwill pledge By Monday afternoon, the legal group Foro Penal confirmed that 49 detainees had been released, including several foreign nationals. That same day, the White House confirmed an upcoming meeting between opposition leader María Corina Machado and U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the releases occurred at Washington’s request. While welcoming the releases, the UN-backed fact-finding mission said the number freed falls well short of demands for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners. Outside prisons, families slept on sidewalks awaiting news, contrasting sharply with the government’s push to project stability as schools reopened under heightened security. Officials emphasized resilience and optimism, even as relatives described fear, uncertainty and anguish over loved ones they have not seen for weeks.

The United States and Venezuela said on Friday that they are considering steps toward restoring diplomatic relations, following a visit by a delegation from the Trump administration to the South American country. The visit represents a significant shift in relations between the two longtime rivals. It follows last weekend’s dramatic U.S. military operation in which former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was seized from his residence in Caracas and flown to New York to face federal drug-trafficking charges. According to the State Department, a small group of U.S. diplomats, accompanied by security personnel, traveled to Venezuela to conduct an initial evaluation of whether the U.S. Embassy in Caracas could reopen. Venezuela’s government said it plans to send its own delegation to the United States, though no timeline was announced. Any such visit would likely require the U.S. Treasury Department to temporarily lift sanctions. The administration of acting President Delcy Rodríguez said it had decided to launch an exploratory diplomatic process with Washington aimed at restoring embassies in both countries. Rodríguez faces a delicate political situation, balancing pressure from the Trump administration while also trying to maintain the support of Venezuelan military hardliners angered by Maduro’s capture. Her remarks on Friday reflected that tension. She said she had spoken by phone with the leftist leaders of Brazil, Colombia, and Spain, during which she condemned what she described as Washington’s “serious, criminal, illegal, and illegitimate aggression” against Venezuela. Later, during a televised appearance at the opening of a women’s health clinic in central Caracas, Rodríguez stressed that engagement with the Trump administration was the best way to protect Venezuela’s stability and even work toward “the return of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.” Read More: Jack Ryan clip resurfaces amid Maduro’s capture “We will engage directly through diplomacy to defend Venezuela’s peace, stability, future, independence, and our sacred and non-negotiable sovereignty,” Rodríguez said, without specifically addressing the possible reopening of the U.S. Embassy. President Donald Trump has sought to pressure Rodríguez and other remaining allies of Maduro to support his vision of greater U.S. influence over Venezuela’s oil exports. Venezuela holds the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world. The United States and Venezuela cut diplomatic ties in 2019 during Trump’s first term, after Washington recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president — a move that infuriated Maduro. That same year, the Trump administration closed the U.S. Embassy in Caracas and relocated its diplomats to Bogotá, Colombia. Since then, visits by U.S. officials to Venezuela have been rare. The most recent visit before this week occurred in February, when Trump’s special envoy, Richard Grenell, met with Maduro, leading to the release of six detained Americans.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she wants to share her Nobel Peace Prize with U.S. President Donald Trump, praising his administration’s military action that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, even as she acknowledged she has not spoken to Trump since October. Speaking on Fox News’ Hannity on Monday, Machado described Maduro’s capture as “a huge step for humanity, for freedom, and human dignity,” and said her decision to dedicate the Nobel Prize to Trump was based on her belief that he deserved it, reports Al Jazeera. Read More:  Machado’s daughter receives Nobel Peace Prize in her absence “I dedicated it to President Trump because I believed, at that time, that he deserved it,” Machado said. “Now, after deposing Maduro, he has proven to the world what he means.” Machado said she last spoke with Trump on October 10, the day the Nobel Peace Prize was announced. “Not since then,” she said, adding that she hopes to thank him personally. “On behalf of the Venezuelan people, how grateful we are for his courageous vision, the historical actions he has taken against this narcoterrorist regime.” Read More:  Nobel Peace Prize for Maria Corina Machado sparks outcry over Israel ties The right-wing opposition figure welcomed Trump’s remarks about U.S. energy interests in Venezuela, saying the country could become an “energy hub” for the United States. “We will bring rule of law, we will open markets, we will bring security for investments,” she said. Trump, however, later questioned Machado’s political standing, telling reporters she “doesn’t have the support or the respect” to lead Venezuela. Following Maduro’s removal, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim leader. Machado won 93 percent of the opposition’s 2023 primary vote but was barred from running for president, forcing her into hiding for more than a year. After traveling to Norway to accept the Nobel Prize, her current whereabouts remain unknown. She said she plans to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible.”

North Korea announced on Monday that leader Kim Jong Un oversaw test flights of hypersonic missiles, emphasizing the need to strengthen the country’s nuclear deterrent as it ramps up weapons demonstrations ahead of a major political gathering. The announcement came a day after neighboring countries reported multiple ballistic missile launches, condemning the tests as provocative. The launches occurred just hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for China to meet President Xi Jinping. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the Sunday exercise aimed to assess the readiness of a hypersonic weapons system, enhance operational skills of missile troops, and evaluate the effectiveness of the country’s war deterrent. Kim stated that the drill confirmed a “very important technology task for national defense” and emphasized the need to continuously upgrade military capabilities, particularly offensive weapons. Possessing operational hypersonic missiles would allow North Korea to bypass U.S. and South Korean missile defense systems. While Pyongyang has conducted multiple tests in recent years to achieve this, foreign experts remain skeptical about whether the missiles have reached the required speed and maneuverability. North Korea fires ballistic missiles into sea ahead of south korean leader’s China visit In recent weeks, the country has test-fired long-range strategic cruise missiles, new anti-air missiles, and released images showing progress in building its first nuclear-powered submarine. Analysts believe these demonstrations aim to highlight weapons development achievements ahead of the Workers’ Party congress, the first in five years, where attention will focus on potential shifts in U.S.-North Korea relations and the resumption of stalled negotiations. The nuclear issue is expected to feature in the Lee-Xi summit, with South Korea urging China to play a constructive role in promoting peace on the peninsula. The missile tests followed a bold U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which North Korea criticized as evidence of American aggression. Kim defended his nuclear ambitions, citing recent geopolitical tensions and complex international developments as justification for strengthening his country’s defense.

Starlink has announced it will provide free broadband internet services across Venezuela until February 3, following the recent U.S. operation that led to the removal of President Nicolás Maduro. The satellite internet service, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, said in a post on X that it is committed to ensuring “continued connectivity” for Venezuelans. The country has long faced internet restrictions, with previous governments blocking platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram during periods of unrest. Starlink delivers mobile broadband through a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites, enabling internet access even in areas with limited infrastructure. Internet monitoring group Netblocks reported a sudden loss of connectivity in parts of Caracas on Saturday, which it said coincided with power outages during the U.S. military operation. Local media also reported that several areas of the capital were experiencing internet blackouts. Venezuelans question leadership after Maduro’s capture The move by Starlink is expected to help restore communication for residents amid ongoing uncertainty and disruptions to power and digital services across the country.