At least 99 people detained in Venezuela, allegedly for political reasons, were released on Dec. 25, according to a statement from the government of Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement posted on social media, the Venezuelan Ministry of Penitentiary Services said the government and the justice system decided to release 99 individuals who had been detained in connection with the July 2024 presidential elections, after "evaluating each case individually."
The release of these individuals is the largest of its kind this year. Previously, in August, opposition figures reported that 13 political activists who had been detained were freed.
Despite the release of nearly a hundred people, human rights organizations continue to push for the release of hundreds more of political prisoners in Venezuela. According to Foro Penal, a Venezuelan organization that provides legal defense and assistance to people imprisoned for political reasons, nearly 1,000 individuals remain behind bars.
As of Dec. 15, Foro Penal had recorded 902 political prisoners in Venezuela, noting that since 2014 the organization has documented 18,612 people arrested by Maduro's government on similar grounds.
In a post on its X account, Foro Penal added that more than 9,000 people are still arbitrarily subject to restrictions on their freedom, including 62 whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Balance de #PresosPoliticos en Venezuela al 15/12/2025 por 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗼 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹:
— Foro Penal (@ForoPenal) December 20, 2025
𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹í𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗼𝘀: 902*
Desde la semana pasada
Hombres: 782
Mujeres: 120
Civiles: 728
Militares: 174
Adultos: 898
Adolescentes: 4
Encarcelados: 10
Excarcelados: 1… pic.twitter.com/VSkNY6zNUV
According to data from Foro Penal, four teenagers are currently imprisoned for political reasons in Venezuela.
For years, human rights organizations have reported hundreds of cases in which Venezuelan authorities carried out enforced disappearances as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population, particularly targeting those they consider dissidents.
In May, a report published by Human Rights Watch presented evidence of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and widespread torture and mistreatment of detainees following protests challenging the 2024 presidential elections, in which Maduro claimed victory with an alleged 51% of the vote.
The report accused the Maduro regime of broad abuses against protesters and opposition members, including up to 25 killings and more than 2,000 political imprisonments.
In the 104-page document, the human rights watchdog revealed that more than 2,000 people were detained for participating in demonstrations in support of the opposition. According to the report, those arrested were charged under vague national security laws such as "incitement to hatred" and "terrorism."
Some detainees were reportedly being held in facilities with inhumane conditions. The Venezuelan non-governmental group Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones (OVP) reported that children have also been detained since last July and held in such centers.
Most of the people imprisoned as a result of the protests have already been released, although, as Foro Penal notes, hundreds remain behind bars despite the Maduro government claiming the contrary.
Additionally, Human Rights Watch said it received "credible reports" of at least 25 killings during protests that erupted across Venezuela after the July 28 election.
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