Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab has announced the release of 146 protesters detained during anti-government protests following the July 28 presidential election.
Saab’s announcement on Monday brings the number of prisoners released by the government to 1,515.
It also comes mere days before President Nicolas Maduro is set to be sworn in for a controversial third term on Friday.
Maduro had been trailing his opposition rival Edmundo Gonzalez in the lead-up to the July 28 vote. But within hours of the polls closing, his government announced he had won the race — without releasing the usual breakdown of the voting tallies.
That prompted outcry, with the opposition publishing voting sheets it claimed as proof that Gonzalez was the rightful winner.
Maduro has faced criticism over his human rights record, and in the face of widespread post-election protests, his government pursued a harsh crackdown against demonstrators.
The government estimates 2,000 people were detained, and human rights groups indicate 23 protesters were killed.
Venezuela’s highest court and election body have since upheld Maduro’s election victory, and Maduro and his allies have accused the opposition of conspiring with foreign governments hostile to Venezuela.
The opposition, however, maintains that the government bodies that confirmed Maduro’s victory are stacked with pro-government loyalists.
Opposition leaders also claim that the precinct-level tallies that they published show Gonzalez beating Maduro two to one.
In September, a Venezuelan court issued a warrant for Gonzalez’s arrest, accusing him of usurpation of powers and conspiracy.
The opposition leader fled Venezuela for Spain shortly thereafter. But the Venezuelan government has continued to push for his arrest, even issuing a $100,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.
Speaking on Monday, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reaffirmed that Gonzalez will be arrested if he “sets foot in Venezuela”.
Gonzalez, however, has pledged to return for the beginning of the new presidential term.
In a social media post on Sunday, the opposition called on Venezuela’s armed forces to recognise Gonzalez as the true leader of the country.
“On January 10, by the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people, I must assume the role of commander-in-chief,” said Gonzalez.
In early January, Gonzalez left Spain for Argentina, and he has since been touring countries in an effort to put pressure on the Maduro government, with one stop already in Uruguay and another planned for Panama.
On Monday, Gonzalez also visited the United States to meet with outgoing President Joe Biden.
“We had a long, fruitful and cordial conversation with President Biden and his team,” Gonzalez told reporters. “We, of course, thanked the United States government for the support it has given us in this fight for democratic recovery in Venezuela.”
The US is one of several countries that has recognised Gonzalez as Venezuela’s president-elect. Also on Monday, Paraguay doubled down on its support for Gonzalez, prompting Venezuela to sever diplomatic relations.
It remains unclear, however, what leverage can be exerted to stop Maduro from beginning his third term on Friday, as he intends to do.
The US has already placed economic sanctions on Maduro and his government, which critics have blamed for worsening Venezuela’s economic crisis.
The economic uncertainty and alleged political repression in Venezuela have pushed as many as 7.7 million Venezuelans — about 20 percent of the population — to leave the country in recent years.
