US urges Venezuela to release remaining political prisoners

Many of those in detention were arrested in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) - which is dominated by government loyalists - declared the incumbent, Nicolás Maduro, the winner of the election even though copies of the voting tallies collected by the opposition and verified by independent media suggested that the opposition candidate had won.

The Carter Center, which had sent independent observers to Venezuela, also said that the election "could not be considered democratic".

A UN fact-finding mission found, external that in the months that followed, the Venezuelan government orchestrated "a harsh repression against persons perceived as political opponents or simply because they express dissent or critical views against the authorities".