In Venezuela, the aftermath of the civil unrest following the July presidential election has seen a significant development. The country's chief prosecutor announced that approximately a quarter of the individuals detained during the unrest have been granted prison release orders. This move comes after a review of cases related to the turmoil, which led to 533 release measures being sought by the Attorney General's office and agreed upon by the judicial system.
President Nicolás Maduro initiated the review in response to mounting international pressure over the government's crackdown on dissent post-election. More than 2,000 adults and minors were arrested in the wake of the election, which saw both the governing party and the opposition claiming victory, sparking nationwide protests. Tragically, at least 24 people lost their lives in the demonstrations, with state security forces being implicated in some of the deaths by a human rights watchdog.
The United States, European Union, and several leftist governments in Latin America have called on Venezuela's National Electoral Council to provide detailed voting records to counter the tally sheets presented by Maduro's opponents. These sheets indicated a significant victory for the opposition candidate, Edmundo González, who was subsequently recognized as the election winner by the U.S., EU, and other nations. However, González fled to Spain in September after an arrest warrant was issued by the Attorney General's office in connection with the online publication of the tally sheets.
