Venezuela frees 'large number' of prisoners after Maduro abduction

Venezuelan authorities are releasing a "large number" of prisoners, some of them foreigners, five days after US forces abducted Nicolas Maduro, parliament speaker Jorge Rodriguez has said.

He told reporters on Thursday the government was carrying out the immediate "release of a large number of Venezuelan and foreign nationals" in what he called a "unilateral gesture".

“The Bolivarian government, together with state institutions, has decided to release a significant number of Venezuelan and foreign individuals, and these release processes are taking place as of this very moment,” Rodriguez added.

It was the first sign of possible concessions by Venezuela's government since President Donald Trump's administration said it was "in charge" in Venezuela.

Jorge Rodriguez did not say how many prisoners were being released.

The non-governmental monitor Foro Penal says there are 806 political prisoners held in Venezuela, including 175 military personnel.

The group hailed Rodriguez's announcement as "good news" but said it was still verifying the releases.

US State Department officials did not comment on whether the releases were a demand of the Trump administration.

Trump said on Tuesday that Venezuelan authorities were "closing up" a "torture chamber in the middle of Caracas," without elaborating.

Spanish citizens would be among those released from prison by Venezuela, according to the information Spain is receiving, and it would be a "very positive step" by Venezuelan authorities, Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said.

___

Source: TRT