CARCAS: Venezuela’s head of parliament on Friday promised the speedy release of remaining political prisoners during a meeting with their relatives in which he promised to correct the government’s “mistakes.”
“By Friday (February 13) at the latest they will all be free,” Jorge Rodriguez, a former member of ousted leader Nicolas Maduro’s inner circle, told prisoners’ families outside the notorious Zona 7 detention center in Caracas.
“We are going to rectify all the mistakes that have been made.”
It was not clear whether he was referring to all remaining political prisoners — estimated to number around 700 by rights groups — or only those being held at Zona 7.
The meeting came a day after National Assembly members gave their initial backing to a draft amnesty covering the types of crimes used to lock up dissidents during 27 years of socialist rule.
But Venezuela’s largest opposition coalition denounced “serious omissions” in the amnesty measures Friday, after a shorter and more general draft of the law was released compared to the previous version circulated the day before.
The text “excludes large groups of civilian and military political prisoners,” “does not establish mechanisms for reparation to victims” and “does not guarantee the safe return of exiles,” the Democratic Unitary Platform coalition said in a statement.
Acting president Delcy Rodriguez is pushing the bill as a milestone on the path to reconciliation, a month after the US overthrow of Maduro.
Jorge Rodriguez, her brother, said the legislation would “repair all the mistakes” of Chavismo — the anti-US, socialist doctrine of late firebrand leader Hugo Chavez and his successor Maduro.
He said he expected parliament to complete the adoption of the bill as early as Tuesday.
“As soon as the law is adopted, they (prisoners) will also be released the same day,” he said.
Relatives surrounded the interim leader’s brother, clamoring for the release of their loved ones.
“Help me get my family member out of there, please,” a woman told him.
“We’re going to get them all out,” he replied while hugging another family member.
Nancy Plaza, whose husband is detained in Zona 7, said she told Rodriguez that “there are many mothers suffering” because of the detentions.
“I told him to please do it for my children, for me, for all the political prisoners,” she told AFP.
“We need him to be released. I’m going to believe that he will keep his promise.”
Venezuela parliament chief vows quick release of remaining political prisoners
https://arab.news/bu4d9
Venezuela parliament chief vows quick release of remaining political prisoners
- Venezuela's head of parliament promised the speedy release of remaining political prisoners
Pull him off TV: Steve Bannon shuts down Sen. Lindsey Graham
- Trump’s former chief strategist called for the senator to be registered as a foreign agent
DUBAI: Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon called on Tuesday for US Senator Lindsey Graham to be registered as a foreign agent of the Israeli government, escalating a growing conservative backlash against the senator’s vocal support for Israel.
Speaking on his podcast “War Room,” Bannon said Graham should be “pulled off of television,” adding: "This is dangerous… because you have guys like Lindsey Graham and dozens more that are doing the wrong thing.”
In a Fox News interview on Monday, Graham said: “To all the antisemites, to all the isolationists… I’m not with you, I’m with Israel, I will be with Israel to our dying day.”
Graham also urged Gulf Arab states to join military action against Iran. “What I want you to do in the Middle East, to our friends in Saudi Arabia and other places, [is] step forward and say, ‘this is my fight too, I join America, I’m publicly involved in bringing this regime down,’” he said.
In a post on X, Graham questioned the value of a US defense agreement with Saudi Arabia following the evacuation of the American embassy in Riyadh, writing: “Why should America do a defense agreement with a country like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is unwilling to join a fight of mutual interest?”
Faisal Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News, responded to Graham’s comments in a Sky News interview, saying: “He flip flops so much, it’s actually entertaining.”
“On one hand, he says he will never set foot in Saudi Arabia. The next day, he’s here signing multimillion-dollar deals.”
“I don’t think anyone here takes him seriously,” Abbas added.
He warned Graham to be careful what he wished for: “Do you really want Saudi Arabia involved in this war putting our oil facilities at risk or do you want us stabilizing the energy markets?”
Graham pressed further, warning that inaction would carry a price. “Hopefully Gulf Cooperation Council countries will get more involved as this fight is in their backyard. If you are not willing to use your military now, when are you willing to use it?”
“Hopefully this changes soon. If not, consequences will follow.”
Graham's remarks drew sharp criticism from Bannon and others including podcast host Megyn Kelly.
She questioned on X whether Graham was overstepping his authority as a senator, writing: “When did Lindsay Graham become our president?”
Kelly also said Graham had threatened Lebanon, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, the wider Arab region, and Spain within a 24-hour period.
The problem with Graham “isn’t (just) that he’s a homicidal maniac, it’s that Trump likes and is listening to him,” she said in another post.
