Venezuela's government says 116 prisoners have been released, according to a statement from the Penitentiary Services Ministry, as the White House said US President Donald Trump is set to meet opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Venezuelan government statement follows three days of reports from rights organisations about delays in the releases, which the Foro Penal group said earlier on Monday had reached only 41, including 24 people freed overnight.
The releases come after a week of political turmoil in Caracas following the capture of president Nicolas Maduro by the United States, and his appearance in a New York court on drug trafficking charges.
Those freed had been "deprived of their liberty for acts associated with disrupting the constitutional order and undermining the stability of the nation," the ministry said.
The release of hundreds of political prisoners in Venezuela is a long-running demand of human rights groups, international bodies and opposition figures.
The head of Venezuela's National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, had said on Thursday that a significant number of prisoners, both foreign and Venezuelan, would be released.
He is the brother of acting President Delcy Rodriguez.
According to Foro Penal, at least 800 people were being held as political prisoners at the beginning of the year in Venezuela.
The government denies that there are detainees held for political reasons.
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado has been one of the main voices calling for the release of prisoners that include some of her close allies.
Machado is scheduled to make her highly anticipated White House visit on Thursday, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Machado rose to become Maduro's strongest opponent in recent years but his government barred her from running for office to prevent her from challenging - and likely beating - him in the 2024 presidential election.
She chose retired ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia to represent her on the ballot.
Officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner mere hours after the polls closed but Machado's well-organised campaign stunned the country by collecting detailed tally sheets indicating González had defeated Maduro by a two-to-one margin.
with AP
Australian Associated Press
More from Politics
Twice weekly
Voice of Real Australia
Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over.
