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Trump Claims Credit as Venezuela Begins Releasing Political Prisoners

US President Donald Trump claimed Venezuela has begun releasing political prisoners in a "BIG WAY," suggesting US intervention expedited the process. According to a Wall Street Journal report, detainees celebrated news of Nicolas Maduro's arrest, though only 11 of an estimated 800 prisoners have been freed. Venezuela's government announced it would release an "important number" of prisoners, sparking hopes for change. The process has since grown more secretive, with cases often bogged down in bureaucracy and visits placing a heavy burden on low-income families.

Key Points: Trump on Venezuela Releasing Political Prisoners

  • Trump credits US for prisoner releases
  • Only 11 of 800 prisoners freed so far
  • Process has become more secretive
  • Families bear high costs for visits
2 min read

"Hope they never forget": Trump as Venezuela starts releasing political prisoners

Donald Trump says Venezuela has started freeing political prisoners, crediting US intervention. Details on the releases and ongoing situation.

"I hope those prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done. - Donald Trump"

Washington DC, January 11

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that Venezuela has begun its process of releasing political prisoners.

In a post on Truth Social, he said that the Venezuelan political prisoners got 'lucky' as the US intervened and expedited the process.

"Venezuela has started the process, in a BIG WAY, of releasing their political prisoners. Thank you! I hope those prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done. I HOPE THEY NEVER FORGET! If they do, it will not be good for them," Trump said.

A detailed report by the Wall Street Journal said that the detainees in the "notorious" Venezuelan prison were caught unawares by the news that had made headlines around the world.

Wall Street Journal reported in detail how the detainees began to sing, "Se cayo! He fell," in joy upon knowing that Nicolas Maduro and his wife were shoved into a US helicopter in the early hours of January 3, and he saw the horizon of Caracas fading into the skyline.

The two have been kept in the high-profile New York prison since and are facing trial.

Venezuela's National Assembly president Jorge Rodriguez on Thursday said that the government would release an "important number" of political prisoners. Many Venezuelans saw the announcement as the harbinger of potential change in the government, the Wall Street Journal reported.

However, only 11 of the country's 800 political prisoners have been released so far, according to the human rights organisation Foro Penal. The nail-biting cliffhanger has kept the prisoners' kin on their toes, with the air crackling with anticipation.

The prisoners are kept in Caracas, and the brunt is borne by the low-income families who have to make arrangements for seeing their dear ones, with trips that cost them dearly, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Cases involving detainees held without formal charges are often snail-paced and ensnared in bureaucracy. Since Thursday, it has also grown more secretive, a shift activists suspect is meant to avoid scenes unfolding in front of the press, the Wall Street Journal reported.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Trump's tone is so... Trump. "I hope they never forget!" It sounds less like compassion and more like a threat. The sentiment is right—freeing prisoners is good—but the delivery is all about him. The US should help, but with humility.
R
Rohit P
As an Indian, I see parallels with how external pressure can sometimes force change. But it's a double-edged sword. We've seen foreign intervention go wrong so many times. The process needs to be transparent and for the benefit of Venezuelans, not for geopolitical points.
S
Sarah B
My heart goes out to the families mentioned, the low-income ones bearing the brunt. Travel costs to see loved ones in prison is a cruel additional punishment. True justice would mean their swift and fair release, not this slow, secretive trickle.
V
Vikram M
The image of prisoners singing "Se cayo!" is powerful. It shows the human desire for freedom is universal. Hope this is the beginning of real change for Venezuela. The world should keep watching and applying pressure until every innocent person is free.
K
Karthik V
Let's be cautiously optimistic. Releasing prisoners is one thing, but what about reforming the system that put them there without charge? That's the harder part. The US can't just swoop in, make a headline, and leave. Sustained effort is needed.

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