Rubio Demands Venezuela Free Remaining Political Detainees Amid Ongoing Democratic Crisis

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on the Venezuelan government to release all remaining political prisoners, intensifying U.S. pressure following the country’s disputed 2024 presidential election.

The appeal comes after the government-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) declared incumbent Nicolás Maduro the victor, a result contradicted by voting tallies collected by the opposition and verified by independent observers, which indicated a decisive win for opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. The Carter Center, which deployed an independent observation mission, concluded the election “could not be considered democratic.”

A subsequent United Nations fact-finding mission documented what it described as a “harsh repression” orchestrated by state authorities in the months following the vote, targeting individuals perceived as political opponents or critics of the government.

In a statement Monday, the State Department reaffirmed its commitment to a three-phase strategy aimed at stabilization, economic recovery, political reconciliation, and a democratic transition. Rubio recently emphasized that the nation’s electoral infrastructure must be overhauled immediately—rejecting timelines of years—to ensure any future vote is credible.

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez responded in a televised address by promising elections under a “renewed” electoral authority, though she provided no specific schedule. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has advocated for elections to be held in 2027, though she has recently signaled flexibility on the exact timing.

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