Nobel Winner Machado Could Make Political Comeback in Venezuela

Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets of Caracas on Thursday as the National Assembly debated a bill granting amnesty to political prisoners. The demonstrations marked the first major opposition protest since interim President Delcy Rodriguez assumed office following the US-led abduction of Nicolas Maduro in January.

Rodriguez’s government called on supporters to hold counterprotests. Both rallies drew large crowds.

The proposed amnesty would cover charges used to imprison dissidents since 1999, including treason, terrorism, and spreading hate, but would exclude those convicted of murder, corruption, drug trafficking, or human rights abuses.

Rodriguez described the legislation as a measure “to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fuelled by violence and extremism.”

Despite the legislation, more than 600 political prisoners remain in custody. The bill would also lift bans on opposition figures running for office, including Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado.