Venezuela’s acting president has announced a proposal for mass amnesty in the country, in her latest major reform since the US toppling of Nicolas Maduro just weeks ago.
Delcy RodrÃguez, in a speech at the Venezuelan Supreme Court attended by top government officials, said she will propose a “general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present.”
Leftist revolutionary Hugo Chávez assumed the Presidency in 1999, and was succeeded upon his death in 2013 by Maduro, who oversaw an increasingly authoritarian government and whose two re-elections were widely dismissed as fraudulent.
“This law will serve to heal the wounds left by political confrontation, fuelled by violence and extremism. It will allow us to put justice back on track in our country,” RodrÃguez said, also announcing a “major national consultation for a new judicial system.”
She also announced plans to close the notorious El Helicoide prison in Caracas, where rights groups say political prisoners were tortured by Maduro’s intelligence services.
The massive facility, originally built as a shopping mall, will be turned into a “sports, cultural and commercial center for police families and neighbouring communities,” RodrÃguez said.
A mother interviewed by AFP near El Helicoide was overjoyed that her son, imprisoned inside, may soon be released under the law.
“It’s wonderful! I haven’t heard from my son in six months, so, damn it, this is a huge joy, it’s an amnesty, my God, it’s total liberation,” said Betsy Orellana, 63.
Wary opposition
Formerly Maduro’s vice-president, RodrÃguez, 56, has quickly moved in less than four weeks in power to overhaul Venezuelan society in ways sought by the United States, earning high praise from US President Donald Trump.
Along with her brother, National Assembly President Jorge RodrÃguez, she has passed a new law opening up the country’s critical oil sector to private investments – a key demand of Trump.
The move on Thursday was almost immediately followed by a rollback on US sanctions targeting Venezuela’s oil industry.
The government also agreed on January 8, five days after Maduro was seized in a deadly US military operation, to free inmates considered political prisoners by rights groups.
Families – many of whom began camping outside the prisons – and rights groups have criticised the slow pace of the releases, with the Foro Penal NGO counting less than 300 in total released since January 8.
Opposition figures in Venezuela have voiced reserved optimism at the changes taking place, wary that Maduro’s closest allies still remain in power.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate MarÃa Corina Machado said Friday that RodrÃguez’s amnesty proposal came only after she was pushed by Washington.
“This is not a voluntary gesture by the regime, but a response to pressure from the United States government. And I hope that the prisoners will soon be able to be with their families,” she posted on social media.
Opposition lawmaker Tomás Guanipa, whose two brothers are imprisoned, said he hope the amnesty would end “an era of repression.”
“May this be the beginning of a path that leads us to freedom and democracy, definitively and forever,” he told AFP in an interview at his home in Caracas.
Accidental__Intake on
Lol would you look at that. I received countless of downvotes for saying taking out Maduro would be a good thing, and that Trump made the right decision to do so. Good luck spinning this into a bad thing.
Vali1995 on
Nothing good will come from something Trump touches.
Drongo17 on
It will now be known as the Donald Trump & El Helicoide Torture Center
pfortuny on
good thing the title calls it “torture center”. Glad (honestly, not joking) that this term is being used.
Schwarzer_Exe on
Tankies in shambles
Impossible_Peach_620 on
It is a very positive development no doubt and I can comfortably say I’m surprised that pressure from America on the remaining Chavismo regime has resulted in this, given I was quite appalled. However, it is still too early to say that the raid is an overall positive development, given that there will need to be more attention spent on Venezuela, and questions about global sovereignty. And attention may be hard to retain given what the oil companies say. We can hold two things true at once. It’s funny that Trump says America First but actually this might be a very positive development for Venezuelans primarily… while American companies hardly benefit. Its been a complete mismatch between rhetoric and results honestly and leftists who say America is just benefiting itself are not entirely correct but also trumps base didn’t ask for this at all besides Rubio neocons.
ItsTheOtherGuys on
Ohhhh this is why Argentina is saying they will take out deportations
Linny911 on
This is taking jobs from the prison staff who were taking care of them. Fruck Trump!
9 Comments
Venezuela’s acting president has announced a proposal for mass amnesty in the country, in her latest major reform since the US toppling of Nicolas Maduro just weeks ago.
Delcy RodrÃguez, in a speech at the Venezuelan Supreme Court attended by top government officials, said she will propose a “general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present.”
Leftist revolutionary Hugo Chávez assumed the Presidency in 1999, and was succeeded upon his death in 2013 by Maduro, who oversaw an increasingly authoritarian government and whose two re-elections were widely dismissed as fraudulent.
“This law will serve to heal the wounds left by political confrontation, fuelled by violence and extremism. It will allow us to put justice back on track in our country,” RodrÃguez said, also announcing a “major national consultation for a new judicial system.”
She also announced plans to close the notorious El Helicoide prison in Caracas, where rights groups say political prisoners were tortured by Maduro’s intelligence services.
The massive facility, originally built as a shopping mall, will be turned into a “sports, cultural and commercial center for police families and neighbouring communities,” RodrÃguez said.
A mother interviewed by AFP near El Helicoide was overjoyed that her son, imprisoned inside, may soon be released under the law.
“It’s wonderful! I haven’t heard from my son in six months, so, damn it, this is a huge joy, it’s an amnesty, my God, it’s total liberation,” said Betsy Orellana, 63.
Wary opposition
Formerly Maduro’s vice-president, RodrÃguez, 56, has quickly moved in less than four weeks in power to overhaul Venezuelan society in ways sought by the United States, earning high praise from US President Donald Trump.
Along with her brother, National Assembly President Jorge RodrÃguez, she has passed a new law opening up the country’s critical oil sector to private investments – a key demand of Trump.
The move on Thursday was almost immediately followed by a rollback on US sanctions targeting Venezuela’s oil industry.
The government also agreed on January 8, five days after Maduro was seized in a deadly US military operation, to free inmates considered political prisoners by rights groups.
Families – many of whom began camping outside the prisons – and rights groups have criticised the slow pace of the releases, with the Foro Penal NGO counting less than 300 in total released since January 8.
Opposition figures in Venezuela have voiced reserved optimism at the changes taking place, wary that Maduro’s closest allies still remain in power.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate MarÃa Corina Machado said Friday that RodrÃguez’s amnesty proposal came only after she was pushed by Washington.
“This is not a voluntary gesture by the regime, but a response to pressure from the United States government. And I hope that the prisoners will soon be able to be with their families,” she posted on social media.
Opposition lawmaker Tomás Guanipa, whose two brothers are imprisoned, said he hope the amnesty would end “an era of repression.”
“May this be the beginning of a path that leads us to freedom and democracy, definitively and forever,” he told AFP in an interview at his home in Caracas.
Lol would you look at that. I received countless of downvotes for saying taking out Maduro would be a good thing, and that Trump made the right decision to do so. Good luck spinning this into a bad thing.
Nothing good will come from something Trump touches.
It will now be known as the Donald Trump & El Helicoide Torture Center
good thing the title calls it “torture center”. Glad (honestly, not joking) that this term is being used.
Tankies in shambles
It is a very positive development no doubt and I can comfortably say I’m surprised that pressure from America on the remaining Chavismo regime has resulted in this, given I was quite appalled. However, it is still too early to say that the raid is an overall positive development, given that there will need to be more attention spent on Venezuela, and questions about global sovereignty. And attention may be hard to retain given what the oil companies say. We can hold two things true at once. It’s funny that Trump says America First but actually this might be a very positive development for Venezuelans primarily… while American companies hardly benefit. Its been a complete mismatch between rhetoric and results honestly and leftists who say America is just benefiting itself are not entirely correct but also trumps base didn’t ask for this at all besides Rubio neocons.
Ohhhh this is why Argentina is saying they will take out deportations
This is taking jobs from the prison staff who were taking care of them. Fruck Trump!