Caracas: Venezuela’s Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello announced that 897 detainees had been released since December, a figure that was later revised to 896 after one individual was re-arrested for violating release conditions.

According to Anadolu Agency, Cabello clarified that the number was adjusted because “one person was arrested again for violating the conditions under which he was released,” as reported by El National. The individual in question is opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa, who was re-arrested after failing to adhere to the conditions set for his freedom. Guanipa, who had been detained since May 2025, was taken back into custody shortly after his release on Sunday, following his public statements and participation in a caravan through detention centers where relatives of political prisoners were holding vigils.

Cabello stated that some politicians believed they could act without restrictions and cause unrest in the country by disregarding the conditions of their release. He emphasized that Guanipa’s actions breached the commitments made upon regaining his liberty. Guanipa had told the press that he was dedicated to national reconciliation with transparency and expressed that Venezuela deserves to be a free country. However, authorities deemed his conduct a violation of his release terms, leading to his re-arrest, potentially under house arrest to safeguard ongoing criminal proceedings, as noted by prosecutors.

These developments follow the capture of former President Nicolas Maduro by US authorities last month, an event that has significantly altered Venezuela’s political landscape.

Since then, Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez — who previously served as vice president — has taken steps to reorient the country’s foreign policy, working with the administration of Donald Trump and redirecting oil exports toward the United States, according to The New York Times.