Rubio Presses Venezuela on Prisoners

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco on Monday to demand the release of the remaining political prisoners in the South American country. The State Department said the two officials discussed reforms intended to prepare for free and credible elections.

US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military raid on Caracas on 3 January. He was transported to New York to face trial on drug-trafficking and torture charges. Since that seizure, more than 1,000 political prisoners have been freed.

Venezuelan prisoners' rights group Foro Penal reports that 322 individuals remain in detention. The release of these detainees has been a primary demand of opposition leader María Corina Machado. Machado, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, returned to Venezuela on 25 October after nearly a year of exile. She met with relatives of the remaining detainees shortly after her return.

Many of the current detainees were arrested following the 2024 presidential election. The National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner despite opposition tallies and independent media verification suggesting the opposition candidate had won. The Carter Center, which monitored the vote, stated the election could not be considered democratic. A UN fact-finding mission later found the government orchestrated harsh repression against perceived opponents.

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president after the US seizure of Maduro. While the Trump administration supports Rodríguez, domestic opposition parties have expressed frustration with the slow pace of reform. The State Department reiterated its commitment to a three-phase plan covering stabilization, economic recovery, and democratic transition.

Rubio told journalists a week before his meeting that Venezuela's election infrastructure requires replacement for future votes to be valid. He insisted the changes must happen quickly under established timelines. Rodríguez stated in a televised address that elections will occur under a renewed electoral authority but provided no specific date. Machado has called for a vote in 2027, previously suggesting 24 July, which marks the birthday of independence hero Simón Bolívar.