Venezuela’s Hollow Gesture: Maduro’s Release of Political Prisoners Masks Ongoing Repression

In what President Nicolás Maduro’s government touts as a humanitarian gesture, just 13 individuals detained following last year’s fraudulent Venezuelan elections have been freed or placed under house arrest. But this limited release hardly signals a genuine shift toward respecting political freedom.Is Maduro’s Partial Release Merely a Tactic to Silence Critics?More than a year after a disputed election that sparked violent protests leaving dozens dead and thousands detained, the Maduro regime remains unrepentant. Despite international condemnation and credible allegations of electoral manipulation—including withholding key vote count documents—the government’s grip on dissent stays ironclad. The reported release of eight prisoners and...