Venezuelan Interim Government Pushes Amnesty for Opposition Figures, Including Political Prisoners from Chavez Era

The interim government of Venezuela is pushing for a large-scale amnesty targeting opposition figures and others.

According to reports from The Guardian and other British media outlets on the 30th (local time), Acting President Delcy Rodriguez stated in a Supreme Court speech, "We plan to propose a general amnesty law that covers the entire period of 'political violence' from 1999 to the present."

The year 1999 marks the inauguration of former President Hugo Chavez, a prominent leftist leader. Venezuela has faced criticism for suppressing opposition figures and others under authoritarian governments from the Chavez administration through to the Nicolas Maduro administration.

Acting President Rodriguez also announced that the government would hold official consultations to reform the judicial system and plans to close the notorious political prison, El Helicoide, converting it into a sports, cultural, and commercial facility.

After taking over the presidency immediately following the "Maduro arrest" operation, Acting President Rodriguez has been pursuing social reform measures demanded by the United States, such as granting amnesty to political prisoners and ending oil nationalization.

However, the Venezuelan opposition has expressed a reserved assessment. Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado stated, "This amnesty proposal is not a voluntary action by the regime, but rather a response to pressure from the U.S. government."