Venezuela Releases 223 Additional Prisoners Detained During Post-Election Protests

Venezuelan authorities have set free another 223 prisoners who were arrested during post-election protests, the prosecutor’s office announced Monday, bringing the total number of protesters released to 956.

“More than 2,400 individuals were arrested and at least 28 lost their lives in the aftermath of widespread protests against President Nicolás Maduro’s proclaimed victory in the July elections, which the opposition contended it had won.”

“Over the course of today in coordination with the criminal courts a new group of cases were reviewed,” the public prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

Relatives of the detainees have been protesting and holding vigils for weeks to demand releases before Christmas.

The process of reviewing the release of detainees began last month.

Only a handful of countries, including key Venezuela ally Russia, have recognized Maduro’s reelection to a third six-year term.

Rights group Foro Penal has disputed the government’s claims on the number of people released.

Those arrested in the hours following Maduro’s victory proclamation were charged with terrorism and incitement to hatred and were subsequently taken to maximum security prisons.

The protests were sparked after the opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado, claimed that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, had won the poll.

The opposition released results that appeared to show their candidate winning by a landslide.

The electoral council did not release detailed official results, but declared Maduro the winner of the election.

Three of the detainees — aged 36, 43 and 44 — died in the custody of the authorities. Relatives have also reported suicide attempts.