Interim President of Venezuela Criticizes American Interventions

SadaNews - The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, has demanded that the United States stop its intervention in Venezuela's internal political affairs, amidst increasing pressure exerted by Washington following the American forces' kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro during a lightning raid.

Rodriguez stated in a speech addressed to oil workers in the Anzoátegui state in the east of the country on Sunday, "Enough orders from Washington to Venezuelan politicians. Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and internal disputes. Enough foreign intervention!"

Rodriguez added that her government will not accept any external impositions, emphasizing that the current phase the country is experiencing requires national consensus free from international pressures.

On Saturday, the interim president called for reaching understandings with the opposition to promote peace in the country.

Release of More Detainees

This position coincided with the announcement on Sunday by Venezuelan authorities of the release of at least 104 political prisoners, as confirmed by the non-governmental human rights organization "Foro Penal".

The organization stated via social media, "We have verified the release of 104 political prisoners in Venezuela."

The organization had previously noted the release of 80 prisoners on the same day.

Alfredo Romero, the organization's director, stated on X platform that the organization is verifying the cases, hinting at the possibility of additional release operations.

Lawyer Gonzalo Himiob, from the same organization, explained that the release process took place overnight, pointing out that the number is not final and may increase after completing the verification processes.

The Venezuelan government claims to have released 626 detainees since December; however, this figure does not match the statistics from human rights organizations, which indicate only about half of that number during the same period.

Since taking office on January 5, Rodriguez has promised under American pressure to release political detainees, alongside signing oil agreements with the United States and initiating legislative reforms including the Hydrocarbons Law.

Source: AFP