In a dramatic pivot just days after the US military raid that deposed Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s interim government has begun releasing a "significant number" of political prisoners, a move aimed at stabilizing the volatile nation and opening diplomatic channels with Washington.

The head of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, framed the releases as a unilateral gesture to "consolidate peace," though analysts see it as a survival tactic by the remaining regime elements to avoid further US intervention. Among those walking free are five Spanish nationals and key opposition figures who had been rotting in the infamous El Helicoide prison.

The Opposition Reacts

María Corina Machado, the firebrand opposition leader, hailed the move as proof that the "wall of injustice is crumbling." In an emotional audio message, she told supporters that truth was finally finding its way through the cracks of the dictatorship.

• Key Releases: Former presidential candidate Enrique Márquez was seen reuniting with his family, looking frail but defiant. "It’s all over now," he told a local journalist.
• Strategic Calculus: By releasing prisoners, the interim administration led by Delcy Rodríguez hopes to gain leverage in negotiations over the country’s oil sector, which the US has threatened to control "indefinitely."
• Human Rights Toll: Rights groups estimate that nearly 1,000 political prisoners remain behind bars. While this release is a start, the demand for a total amnesty continues to grow.

A New Era?

The streets of Caracas are a mix of jubilation and anxiety. The release of prisoners is a tangible sign that the old order is dead, but the question remains: who will inherit the power vacuum left by Maduro?