The family of Venezuelan detainee Diógenes Angulo seemed stunned as he was released from a San Francisco de Yare prison following a detention of one year and five months.
His arrest occurred just two days prior to the 2024 presidential election, triggered by his posting of a video showing an opposition demonstration in Barinas, the home state of the late President Hugo Chávez.
Upon leaving the jail, located about an hour’s drive south of Caracas, he was informed that had been apprehended by U.S. forces on January 3 during a in the capital.
Angulo informed The Associated Press that his religious faith provided him with the fortitude to endure his imprisonment.
“Thank God, I’m going to enjoy my family again,” he stated, noting that other detainees “are well” and are optimistic about an imminent release.
On Saturday, for the third day in a row, families of prisoners assembled outside detention facilities in Caracas and other areas, anxiously awaiting news of potential releases.
The government had committed on Thursday to freeing a substantial number of prisoners.
However, by Saturday, only 11 individuals had been released, an increase from nine the previous day, as reported by Foro Penal, a Caracas-based prisoner advocacy organization. The group stated that 809 people remain incarcerated. It was not confirmed whether Angulo’s release was included in the count of 11.
A relative of activist Rocío San Miguel, who was among the first freed and has since moved to Spain, said in a statement that her release “is not full freedom, but rather a precautionary measure substituting deprivation of liberty.”
Prominent opposition figures detained after the and still imprisoned include former lawmaker Freddy Superlano, former governor Juan Pablo Guanipa, and Perkins Rocha, an attorney for opposition leader . The son-in-law of opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González is also still jailed.
One week after a U.S. military intervention in Caracas, government supporters marched in various cities demanding the return of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple was captured and extradited to the United States, where they face charges such as conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism.
Hundreds protested in cities including Caracas, Trujillo, Nueva Esparta, and Miranda, with many waving Venezuelan flags. In Caracas, crowds were heard chanting: “Maduro, keep on going, the people are rising.”
, speaking at a public social-sector event in Caracas on Saturday, once again denounced the U.S. military operation.
“There is a government, that of President Nicolás Maduro, and I have the responsibility to take charge while his kidnapping lasts … . We will not stop condemning the criminal aggression,” she said, referring to Maduro’s removal.
On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media: “I love the Venezuelan people and I am already making Venezuela prosperous and safe again.”
Following the dramatic military action that ousted Maduro, Trump announced that the United States would govern the South American nation and sought access to its oil resources, pledging to use them “to benefit the people” of both countries.
On Friday, Venezuela and the United States announced they are assessing the , severed since 2019, and the potential reopening of their diplomatic missions. A delegation from Donald Trump’s administration arrived in the country on Friday, according to the State Department.
As the world watches the fate of the South American country, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil responded to , who on Friday urged for peace and “respecting the will of the Venezuelan people.”
“With respect for the Holy Father and his spiritual authority, Venezuela reaffirms that it is a country that builds, works, and defends its sovereignty with peace and dignity,” Gil wrote on his Telegram account, inviting the pontiff “to get to know this reality more closely.”