Venezuela releases imprisoned opposition figures, which Trump says U.S. requested

A relative of a political prisoner waits outside the Rodeo I prison in Guatire, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the government would release Venezuelan and foreign prisoners.

Venezuela released a number of imprisoned high-profile opposition figures, activists and journalists, in what the government described as a gesture to "seek peace".

(Image credit: Matias Delacroix)