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The peacemakers: Meet Venezuelans who are fighting to free political detainees

January 16, 2026

Venezuelan advocacy groups, primarily composed of relatives and supporters of political prisoners, are mobilizing to secure the release of hundreds of people detained under what human rights organizations call politically motivated persecution. While Venezuelan officials announced prisoner releases in January, significant discrepancies exist between government claims and verified numbers from independent organizations like Foro Penal, which tracks over 800 political detainees. Grassroots committees, particularly mothers and family members, have organized vigils, brought supplies to prisons, and used social media campaigns to demand freedom for their loved ones.

Who is affected

  • At least 863 political prisoners (according to Foro Penal's vetted count), including women, men, older adults, journalists, and foreigners
  • Relatives and families of political prisoners, particularly mothers and women who comprise advocacy groups
  • Members of Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Venezuela (CLIPPVE)
  • Members of Committee of Mothers for the Defense of the Truth (Comité de las Madres en Defensa de la Verdad)
  • 252 Venezuelan migrants previously imprisoned at El Salvador's CECOT mega prison
  • Human rights organizations including Foro Penal, Provea, and their staff members like Alfredo Romero, Marino Alvarado, and Oscar Murillo
  • Former political prisoners who now participate in advocacy activities
  • General Venezuelan public and supporters

What action is being taken

  • Families are waiting near Venezuelan detention centers for releases without prior notice
  • Advocacy groups are conducting candlelight vigils and prayers
  • Friends and relatives of Colombian and Venezuelan detainees held a vigil at the Venezuelan-Colombian border on January 13
  • Relatives have been bringing food and medicines to loved ones during allowed prison visits
  • Groups are using social media as their primary communication medium with hashtags such as #QueSeanTodos
  • Advocacy organizations are carrying black fabric banners with appeals reading "Liberen A Los Presos Políticos" (Free the Political Prisoners)

Why it matters

  • This situation highlights the ongoing human rights crisis in Venezuela, where hundreds remain imprisoned for what independent organizations characterize as politically motivated reasons, contributing to what the UN Fact-Finding Mission describes as a "long-standing and appalling human rights record." The grassroots mobilization of families, particularly mothers and women, represents a critical civil society response to authoritarian practices and demonstrates the power of organized advocacy in defending human rights. These contemporary movements echo historically significant Latin American human rights campaigns, such as Argentina's Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, whose work not only reunited families but also contributed to international forensic human rights efforts that continue to solve cases worldwide. The testimony and documentation being compiled by these Venezuelan groups will be essential for future accountability, justice, and democratic reconstruction efforts, particularly regarding Memory, Truth, and Justice initiatives that human rights organizations are prioritizing for the country's transition away from authoritarianism.

What's next

  • The future aims of movements like CLIPPVE and the Committee of Mothers for the Defense of the Truth remain to be determined
  • Provea (Venezuelan Program for Education and Action in Human Rights) has committed to urgent reconstruction of democracy through support for victims in the process of Memory, Truth, and Justice
  • Provea will prioritize supporting social struggles for defense of economic, social, and cultural rights
  • Provea plans to work on construction of a common agenda for the human rights movement

Read full article from source: Global Voices