More than 200 political prisoners in Venezuela launch hunger strike

Guatire (Venezuela) (AFP) – More than 200 Venezuelan political prisoners were on hunger strike Sunday to demand their release under a new amnesty law that excludes many of them.

The inmates at the Rodeo I prison, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of capital Caracas, shouted to their loved ones as part of the protest, an AFP journalist witnessed.

"Freedom!", "release us all!" and "Rodeo I on strike" were among the cries from the prisoners that were audible from outside the facility.

The amnesty law was approved by Venezuela's congress on Thursday as part of a wave of reforms encouraged by the United States after it ousted and captured former president Nicolas Maduro on January 3.

The hunger strike, which began Friday night, came about after inmates complained they would not benefit from the law because it excludes cases involving the military, which are the most common ones at that facility.

"Approximately 214 people in total, including Venezuelans and foreigners, are on hunger strike," said Yalitza Garcia, mother-in-law of a prisoner named Nahuel Agustin Gallo.

Gallo, an Argentine police officer, is accused of terrorism, another category that is excluded.

"They decided Friday to go on hunger strike because of the scope of the amnesty law, which excludes many of them," said Shakira Ibarreto, the daughter of a policeman arrested in 2024.

On Sunday, a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited the Rodeo I prison.

"This is the first time they have allowed us to approach that prison," Filippo Gatti, the ICRC's health coordinator for Venezuela, told family members. "It's a first step, and I think we're on the right track."

Not all the inmates at the prison were joining the hunger strike, the relatives said.

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