Venezuela has started releasing multiple Americans detained across the country, according to a US State Department official.
The official did not confirm the identities or number of prisoners released by Venezuela, but in a statement called the move an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.
This is the first known release of American citizens since a US military operation seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife during a raid in the capital Caracas on January 3, to face drug trafficking charges in New York.
The UN says Venezuela has so far released about 50 prisoners of what human rights groups estimate to be 800 political prisoners detained in the country.
The Venezuelan government, led by Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, announced last week its decision to start releasing a significant number of people considered political prisoners as a goodwill gesture.
Some domestic opposition figures and at least five Spanish citizens are among those confirmed to have been freed so far.
Over the weekend, Donald Trump commented on social media that the process of freeing detainees in Venezuela had begun in a BIG WAY. Trump stated he cancelled a second wave of airstrikes on Venezuela once he learned Caracas was cooperating with the release of prisoners.
The events are seen as a first test of Trump's influence in Venezuela following Maduro's removal. However, the interim government faces accusations of failing to uphold its promise to release all political detainees, as noted by Ramón Guanipa, whose father remains imprisoned.
Guanipa urged Trump not to be misled by the interim authorities' gestures until every political prisoner is released. Human rights activists have accused the Government of using detentions to silence critics, with officials denying any political arrests.
Many of those detained were apprehended following the disputed 2024 presidential election, in which Maduro claimed victory despite opposition challenges.
