Caracas: Venezuela's acting president announced an amnesty law covering hundreds of prisoners and plans to transform the Helicoide detention center in Caracas into a hub for sports and social services. The announcement was made during a ceremony signaling the start of the new judicial year at the Supreme Tribunal of Justice.

According to Anadolu Agency, Delcy Rodriguez stated that the amnesty would apply to cases from 1999 to the present, but would exclude individuals prosecuted for drug trafficking, homicide, corruption, and human rights violations. This initiative is seen as a response to pressure from the United States, rather than a voluntary act by the Venezuelan government. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado emphasized the role of US pressure in this development.

A Venezuelan human rights organization, Foro Penal, expressed cautious optimism about the proposed amnesty. Alfredo Romero, head of the group, conveyed through US social media platform X that a general amnesty could be beneficial if it includes all civil society without discrimination, avoids becoming a tool of impunity, and aids in dismantling repressive political persecution.

The Helicoide prison has been criticized by rights groups as a symbol of governmental repression and prisoner abuse. The planned transformation of the facility into a center for sports and social services is part of the broader reform efforts.

The recent capture and extradition of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by US forces to New York, where they pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges, adds another layer of complexity to Venezuela's political landscape. Former US President Donald Trump indicated that his administration would manage Venezuela and its oil assets during a transitional period.