Venezuela Frees Foreign Detainees Including Five Spaniards and Activist

Venezuelan authorities said on Jan. 8 that they had freed a “significant number” of detainees, including both Venezuelan nationals and foreigners, in a step senior officials described as a gesture intended "to seek peace." The announcement came as the capital remained tense after U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro less than a week earlier and an interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez assumed control.

Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly and brother of the acting president, announced the releases on television, saying they were "happening right now" and framing them as measures to promote "national unity" and "peaceful coexistence." He did not provide a full list of names or a total detainee count at the time of his remarks.

Spain’s foreign ministry and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed that five Spanish citizens were among those freed and said the embassy was assisting them to return to Spain. Spanish officials identified the five as Rocío San Miguel, Andrés Martínez, José María Basoa, Ernesto Gorbe and Miguel Moreno. Spanish and international sources noted that San Miguel holds dual Venezuelan-Spanish nationality and that her release was the first individual liberation confirmed on the day of the announcement.

San Miguel is a prominent lawyer and human-rights activist, known for her expertise on security, defence and the Venezuelan military. She was detained in February 2024 at Maiquetía international airport near Caracas and was accused by authorities at the time of involvement in a plot against the then‑president. Prosecutors had brought charges including treason, conspiracy and terrorism, accusations that provoked condemnation from opposition figures and rights groups.

Human-rights organizations welcomed the reported releases cautiously. Foro Penal, a Venezuelan human-rights group, estimated on Dec. 29, 2025 that 863 people were detained in Venezuela "for political reasons," including at least 86 foreign detainees. Foro Penal director Alfredo Romero wrote on X that the reported liberations were "good news" and indicated some foreigners were known to be on their way to freedom. Rights groups stressed, however, that isolated releases should not be conflated with broad reforms, and they urged continued scrutiny of detention practices.

Observers pointed to persistent concerns about notorious sites such as El Helicoide, which has been reported to hold dozens of prisoners and remains a focal point for scrutiny. Even as authorities signal closures or transfers, human-rights advocates say sustained monitoring is necessary to ensure that releases represent systemic changes rather than symbolic acts.

Diplomatically, the swift involvement of the Spanish embassy to facilitate travel underscores the immediate practical challenges of repatriation and consular protection during a period of rapid political change. For Madrid and other capitals with nationals detained in Venezuela, the episode will test relations with the interim authorities and influence how foreign governments calibrate engagement while legal and human-rights questions remain unresolved.

As freed detainees prepare to depart Caracas, the international community will watch whether the action presages wider political concessions or is a narrowly tailored response to the extraordinary events that followed Maduro’s capture and the installation of the interim government.