Venezuela’s acting president announces end of Amnesty Law

Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced Thursday that the nation's controversial Amnesty Law, which facilitated the release of thousands of individuals imprisoned for political acts, is reaching its conclusion.

Speaking from the Miraflores Palace during the inauguration of the Commission for the Grand Consultation on Criminal Justice Reform, Rodriguez assured that remaining cases not covered by the measure would be addressed through alternative judicial mechanisms.

She stressed that while the legislative window for the Amnesty Law is closing, the government has established new frameworks to review pending cases.

“This Amnesty Law is coming to an end," Rodriguez said in a broadcast on the state-run channel VTV.

"For those cases that were not covered—or, rather, were expressly excluded from the Amnesty Law—there are other avenues through which they can be addressed,” she added.

The Amnesty Law was passed in February by the National Assembly following significant diplomatic pressure from Washington. It aimed to provide relief to individuals prosecuted or convicted of crimes related to political events during the last 27 years of the leftist government.

Rodriguez defended the legacy of the law, comparing it to historic reconciliation efforts in other nations.

"I have drawn comparisons that place this Amnesty Law on a very high level, on par with those of South Africa and Spain," she emphasized, noting that 8,616 people have already "benefited from full freedom."

The announcement of the law’s end follows the arrival of the new US diplomatic representative, John Barrett, who recently arrived in Caracas from Guatemala.

Despite the thousands of people released, the measure remains a point of contention. Data from the NGO Foro Penal suggests that approximately 470 political prisoners remain in Venezuelan jails. Human rights organizations and opposition leaders have also criticized the law for its limited scope, as it expressly excluded military personnel and individuals involved in armed actions or acts of violence.