2 months ago
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Venezuelan absorption person Maria Corina Machado connected Saturday (March 14, 2026) accused the Caracas authorities of "selective justice" nether its amnesty program, saying her ain lawyer had yet to beryllium released.
The amnesty instrumentality was passed by interim person Delcy Rodriguez nether unit from Washington aft U.S. forces captured erstwhile person Nicolas Maduro successful January and took him to New York to look cause trafficking charges.
It aims to crook the leafage connected astir 3 decades of authorities repression, and people an aboriginal milestone successful the post-Maduro transition.
But Ms. Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize past year, said her adjacent state and lawyer Perkins Rocha has been successful custody since August 2024, erstwhile scores of radical were arrested aft Mr. Maduro's contested re-election.
Mr. Rocha, 63, remains nether location apprehension and is required to study successful to authorities each 3 hours. His amnesty petition has been denied, Ms. Machado posted connected X.
"To selectively contradict amnesty is repression. The authorities led by Delcy Rodriguez wants to prolong the panic by breaking the morale of those warring for ideology and state successful Venezuela," she wrote.
"Perkins Rocha and each governmental prisoners indispensable beryllium afloat released. Not ex-prisoners, not defendants: FREE!"
NGOs person besides criticized the amnesty instrumentality arsenic insufficent and being unfairly applied.
The instrumentality covers radical detained successful events specified arsenic a failed 2002 coup against ex-leader Hugo Chavez and assorted cycles of protests betwixt 2004 and 2024, arsenic good arsenic for disapproval posted connected societal media oregon messaging services.
The authorities claims that much than 7,000 radical person been granted afloat freedom, including prisoners successful jailhouse and those connected parole.
The NGO Foro Penal said this period that portion 690 governmental prisoners had been released since Mr. Maduro's ouster, astir 500 stay down bars.
