A Warning Over Delcy Rodríguez’s Failure: Trump Says Political Prisoner Releases in Venezuela Are Happening at a “Rapid Rate”

President Donald Trump said on the afternoon of the 26th that, as part of a "humanitarian gesture," the interim regime of Delcy Rodriguez in Venezuela was rapidly releasing political prisoners. He also said the releases would continue more quickly.

"I am pleased to report that Venezuela is releasing its political prisoners at an accelerated pace, a pace that will increase in a short period of time," Trump said in a post on his social network TRUTH.

"I want to thank Venezuela's leadership for agreeing to make this powerful humanitarian gesture," he added.

Trump's words come against the backdrop of the release of political prisoners in Venezuela, but at a very different pace than what the president is referring to. Although the interim regime announced on January 8 that there would be hundreds of releases, in almost 20 days the figure still does not reach half of those held hostage.

According to the organization Foro Penal, which is mainly in charge of the defense of political prisoners, until January 26, only 266 have been "released." The number of political prisoners totaled more than 1,000 before the releases began.

According to VOZ sources, the slowdown in the process of releasing political prisoners is due to internal struggles within the Chavista regime. Although Delcy Rodriguez, leader of the interim regime, committed herself to the release of prisoners, she has encountered resistance within the Chavista system itself.

In that sense, Trump's message, which dissents from what is really happening inside Venezuela, is a warning to Delcy Rodriguez. The Trump administration has made it clear that the management of Venezuela is in the hands of the United States: Delcy Rodriguez must abide by the administration's demands. What Trump is doing is announcing one of those claims publicly.

Just yesterday, Delcy Rodriguez was defying Washington. From a political rally with Chavista supporters, Rodriguez said that "enough of Washington's orders on politicians in Venezuela."

"Let Venezuelan politics be the one to resolve our divergences and our internal conflicts. Enough of foreign powers," he said.

Although it could be a rhetorical effort to placate the frustration of the Chavista grassroots with the cooperation with the United States, the challenging tone from Caracas, when there is no clarity on cooperation on all issues - among them political prisoners - does not fail to attract attention.