Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, made the statement during a parliamentary session on Tuesday.

Venezuela’s top lawmaker says more than 400 people have been released from prison, disputing claims by human rights groups that only 60 to 70 detainees have been freed in recent days, amid renewed calls for the release of political prisoners.

Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, made the statement during a parliamentary session on Tuesday.

Rodríguez told lawmakers that the releases did not involve “political prisoners,” but rather politicians who, he said, had broken the law, violated the Constitution, or called for foreign intervention.

He said more than 400 prisoners had been freed, though he did not specify when the releases took place.

Both Rodríguez and U.S. President Donald Trump have said large numbers of prisoners would be released as a gesture of peace following the January 3 abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces.

The release of political prisoners has long been demanded by human rights groups, international organisations and opposition figures.

The Venezuelan government has consistently denied holding people for political reasons and says it has already freed most of the roughly 2,000 people detained after protests over the disputed 2024 presidential election.

Human rights organisations estimate that between 800 and 1,200 political prisoners remain in Venezuela.

They say only 60 to 70 prisoners have been released since last week and have criticised the slow pace of the process and the lack of transparency.

Bloomberg News reported that at least one U.S. citizen was released on Tuesday, while Venezuela’s Ministry of Penitentiary Services said at least 116 prisoners were freed on Monday.

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