More than 200 political prisoners in Venezuela launch hunger strike

More than 200 Venezuelan political prisoners were on hunger strike Sunday to demand their release under a new amnesty law that excludes many of themThe inmates at the Rodeo I prison about 40 kilometers 25 miles east of capital Caracas shouted to their loved ones as part of the protest an AFP journalist witnessedFreedom release us all and Rodeo I on strike were among the cries from the prisoners that were audible from outside the facilityThe amnesty law was approved by Venezuelas congress on Thursday as part of a wave of reforms encouraged by the United States after it ousted and captured former president Nicolas Maduro on January 3The hunger strike which began Friday night came about after inmates complained they would not benefit from the law because it excludes cases involving the military which are the most common ones at that facilityApproximately 214 people in total including Venezuelans and foreigners are on hunger strike said Yalitza Garcia motherinlaw of a prisoner named Nahuel Agustin GalloGallo an Argentine police officer is accused of terrorism another category that is excludedThey decided Friday to go on hunger strike because of the scope of the amnesty law which excludes many of them said Shakira Ibarreto the daughter of a policeman arrested in 2024On Sunday a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC visited the Rodeo I prisonThis is the first time they have allowed us to approach that prison Filippo Gatti the ICRCs health coordinator for Venezuela told family members Its a first step and I think were on the right trackNot all the inmates at the prison were joining the hunger strike the relatives saidAmnesty law criticizedThe amnesty law was engineered by interim leader Delcy Rodriguez under pressure from Washington after US commandos attacked Venezuela on January 3 snatched Maduro and his wife and took them to the United States for trial on drug trafficking chargesOpposition figures have criticized the new legislation which appears to include carveouts for some offenses previously used by authorities to target Maduros political opponentsThe law also excludes members of the security forces convicted of activities related to what the government considered terrorismBut the amnesty extends to 11000 political prisoners who over nearly three decades were paroled or placed under house arrestMore than 1500 political prisoners in Venezuela have already applied for amnesty under the bill the head of the countrys legislature said SaturdayHundreds of others had already been released by Rodriguezs government before the amnesty bill was approvedOn Sunday a handful of inmates were released from Rodeo I carrying release papers in their hands They were greeted with applauseIm out I love you so much my queen Im doing well Robin Colina one of the freed prisoners said excitedly into a mobile phoneArmando Fusil another released prisoner told AFP Right now there are quite a few people on hunger strike because they want to get outThe 55yearold police commissioner from the western state of Maracaibo said he was arrested for no reason in October 2024He said loved ones came to visit him every Friday since his arrest taking a nearly 40hour trip just for a little bit of face time each weekNow theyre coming to pick him up for goodWe all help each other Fusil said about his fellow detainees Its created a beautiful brotherhoodThe NGO Foro Penal dedicated to the defense of political prisoners reported 23 releases on SundayMaduro ruled Venezuela between March 2013 and January 2026 silencing opposition and activists under his harsh leftist ruleMaduro and his wife are in US custody awaiting trial Maduro 63 has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges and declared that he is a prisoner of warThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever