18 more detainees have been released in Venezuela, according to rights groups

Human rights organizations reported on Saturday that 18 inmates had been released from Venezuela, up from nine on Friday afternoon.

Human rights organizations, international organizations, and opposition leaders, such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has numerous close allies imprisoned, have long demanded the release of hundreds of political prisoners in the South American nation.

The releases have been described as a goodwill gesture by U.S. President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s top congressman, Jorge Rodriguez, who is the brother of acting President Delcy Rodriguez. In a post on Truth Social, Trump also stated that, thanks to Venezuela’s cooperation, he had canceled a second round of attacks.

The announcement that the United States would refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of crude oil from Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro’s stunning capture, his arraignment in a New York court on charges of narcoterrorism, Rodriguez’s swearing-in, and the U.S. attack on Venezuela round out a week of political unrest in Caracas.

Human rights organizations and Venezuela’s opposition have long claimed that the government utilizes detentions to quell protest, a claim that officials have often refuted. The number of inmates who will be released and their identities are not officially listed.

Local rights organization According to Foro Penal, there are 811 political prisoners in the nation. More than 80 international detainees are included in that number, including two Americans and one who resides in the United States.

The first verified releases on Thursday were five Spanish nationals, including Rocio San Miguel, a Venezuelan rights campaigner. The next day, they reached Madrid.

Among those released is Enrique Marquez, a former opposition presidential candidate from Venezuela.