An amnesty law granting amnesty to political prisoners in Venezuela has been unanimously approved by the National Assembly, raising hopes among the country’s opposition.
On Thursday, members of the ruling Samajwadi Party and the opposition gave speeches in their favour New LawKnown as the Amnesty Act for Democratic Coexistence.
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“The path of this law is going to be full of obstacles, full of bitter moments,” said Jorge Rodríguez, head of the National Assembly.
But he added that it needed to “swallow hard” to help the country move forward.
“We ask for forgiveness and we have to forgive,” Rodriguez said.
But critics still point out that the text of the bill has yet to be made public and that it offers no amnesty for individuals accused of serious crimes, including drug trafficking, murder, corruption or human rights abuses.
Instead, media reports about the law indicate that it focuses on charges against protesters and opposition leaders.
What does the bill say?
The bill would grant amnesty to individuals charged with crimes such as sedition, terrorism, sedition, resisting authorities, inciting illegal activities and spreading hatred, if those crimes were committed in connection with political activism or protest.
Opposition leaders such as Maria Corina Machado will also have their ban on running for public office lifted.
In addition, the law specifies certain events that qualify for amnesty, including demonstrations that occurred in 2007, 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2024.
That period spans from the presidency of the late President Hugo Chávez, founder of the “Chavismo” movement, to his chosen successor, Nicolas Maduro.
Both Chávez and Maduro were accused of violent suppression of dissent through arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings.
But on January 3, US President Donald Trump’s administration launched a military operation in Venezuela to kidnap Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. He has since been transported to New York City, where he is awaiting trial on charges related to drug trafficking.
Members of Venezuela’s opposition have hailed the military crackdown as a long overdue move, with experts arguing that the US violated international law as well as Venezuelan sovereignty in removing Maduro from power.
The weight of Maduro’s legacy
Images of Chávez were a common sight during Thursday’s debate in the National Assembly, which has been dominated by members of the Chavismo movement since 2017.
That year, Venezuela’s Supreme Court dissolved the opposition-led National Assembly and briefly usurped its powers before reestablishing an assembly with Maduro supporters.
In 2018 and again in 2024, Maduro claimed victory in contested elections that critics say were rigged.
In the July 2024 polls, for example, the government refused to release voter numbers, as was the standard practice previously. The opposition, however, captured nearly 80 percent of the tally, contradicting the government’s claim that Maduro had won a third six-year term.
After Maduro’s kidnapping last month, the remnants of his government remained in power.
Within days, his vice president — Delcy Rodríguez, sister of the leader of the National Assembly — was sworn in as interim president.
She used her inaugural speech to condemn the “kidnapping of two heroes held hostage: President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.”
Rodriguez has nevertheless cooperated with US demands, including supporting a bill to open Venezuela’s nationalized oil industry to foreign investment.
On the floor of the National Assembly on Thursday, her brother Jorge snapped a photo of Chavez holding a crucifix as he spoke. Maduro’s son, National Assembly member Nicolas Maduro Guerra, also delivered remarks.
“Venezuela can no longer tolerate acts of revenge,” Maduro Guerra said as he called for “reconciliation”.
Venezuela’s opposition reacts
Still, opposition members in the National Assembly expressed optimism about the bill.
National Assembly representative Tomas Guanipa, for example, called it the beginning of a “new, historic chapter” in Venezuela’s history, where political dissidents “are not afraid to speak their minds for fear of going to jail”.
Nearly 7.9 million Venezuelans have left the country over the past few decades to flee political persecution and economic instability.
But in the weeks since Maduro’s kidnapping, concerns have been raised about the human rights situation in Venezuela — and Whether it is safe to return home.
President Rodriguez has promised Free the political prisoners And close the infamous prison El Helicoid, where reports of torture have emerged. But some experts say the number of people who have left does not match the number reported by the government.
Human rights group Foro Penal, for example, has documented 383 publications since January 8.
This figure, however, is less than the 900 political prisoners claimed to have been released by the government. According to the Foro Penal’s estimate, 680 political prisoners are under house arrest.
Opposition parties have also alleged that the government is threatening and harassing those who sympathize with Maduro’s ouster and other views that oppose the Chavismo movement.
Still, the head of the Foro Penal, Alfredo Romero, hailed the initial passage of the amnesty law as a step forward.
“Amnesty is the framework that will ensure… that the past does not stop or derail the transition process,” Romero told the AFP news agency.
A second vote is expected on Tuesday next week.