International Desk
Venezuela on May 26 released eight army officers who had been imprisoned for allegedly plotting to overthrow former president Nicolas Maduro, marking another major development in the country’s ongoing political transition following Maduro’s removal from power earlier this year.
The officers were linked to the so-called “Paratrooper Case,” a high-profile military conspiracy investigation launched in 2017 during Maduro’s rule. Authorities at the time accused the soldiers of inciting rebellion and attempting to organize a coup against the government. Their arrests became emblematic of the crackdown on dissent within Venezuela’s armed forces during years of political turmoil and economic collapse.
The latest releases come after US forces captured Maduro during a dramatic operation in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in January. Since then, Venezuelan authorities have gradually freed hundreds of political prisoners under a broad amnesty initiative aimed at easing tensions and rebuilding state institutions.
Human rights organization Foro Penal shared emotional footage showing the freed officers leaving prison and reuniting with relatives. The former detainees, dressed in yellow shirts, were seen crying, embracing family members and celebrating their release after spending more than nine years behind bars.
Among those released was General Ramon Lozada, who exited the courthouse in a wheelchair. Witnesses said he later stood to greet supporters, hugging and kissing relatives before draping a Venezuelan flag around his shoulders.
“We can confirm the release of paratrooper sergeants and General Lozada, having served their sentences,” Foro Penal vice president Gonzalo Himiob said in a statement posted on X.
The case also drew international attention because of the imprisonment of General Raul Baduel, once a close ally of former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. Baduel later became a critic of Maduro and died in prison in 2021 under controversial circumstances.
Despite the latest releases, the Baduel family continues campaigning for the freedom of Raul Baduel’s son, lawyer Josnars Baduel, who was arrested in 2020 on accusations of plotting against Maduro’s government.
According to Foro Penal, nearly 800 political prisoners have been released since January, including dozens of military personnel accused of rebellion and treason. Venezuelan authorities say around 8,000 individuals have benefited from a sweeping amnesty law approved in February, though many of them had only been facing judicial investigations rather than imprisonment.
Human rights groups caution that significant challenges remain. Foro Penal reported that as of May 25, at least 409 political prisoners were still being held in Venezuela, underscoring continued concerns about justice, accountability and political reconciliation in the country’s post-Maduro era.
