Venezuela Begins Releasing Politic

The first political prisoners emerged to cheering relatives even as observers questioned the true price of their release.

Caracas frames the move as a step toward “peace,” while Washington describes it as strategic leverage.

Between these narratives lie nearly 900 detainees, U.S.-controlled oil revenues, and the fallout from a fallen strongman.

Venezuela’s sudden releases appear calculated amid a tense reset with the United States.

With Nicolás Maduro now in U.S. custody and an unsteady post-Maduro leadership seeking legitimacy, freeing prisoners sends a signal abroad and at home.

Details remain scarce: no official名单, no clear standards, only scattered reunions and brief statements from officials and allies.

Behind the scenes, oil is the bargaining chip, as the U.S. oversees crude sales and controls billions—praised by some as leverage, criticized by others as financial trusteeship—while families focus on one outcome above all: freedom.