The Venezuelan Parliament takes the first step towards adopting an amnesty law for political prisoners
The project, promoted by the incumbent President, Delcy Rodriguez, and adopted on Thursday in the first ballot, includes political prisoners since 1999, when Chavism came to power, and excludes those accused or convicted of serious human rights violations. The consultation process will now be opened and will then have to be approved in a second debate.
The Venezuelan Parliament, with a large official majority, unanimously and in the first debate approved thedraft amnesty law for political prisoners promoted by PresidentD elcy Rodriguez.
The draft includes political prisoners since 1999, when Chavism came to power, and excludes those who have been prosecuted or convicted of serious human rights violations, although it will have to be adopted in a second debate.
The bill is now to be consulted with various sectors of civil society, for which the President of the National Assembly (AN, Parliament), the Chavista Jorge Rodríguez, appointed a special commission composed of 19 deputies, including Nicolas Maduro Guerra, son of President Nicolás Maduro, and former Minister of the Prison Service Iris Varela.
The bill was introduced by the incumbent president on 30 January, almost a week after the arrest of Maduro and his wife in the midst of a gradual process of release of political prisoners.
According to the Criminal Forum NGO, at least 383 political prisoners have been released from prison since 8 January, when the President of Parliament announced the release of "numerous" people.
Venezuelan legislation provides that a draft law must have a first discussion for the explanatory statement and an assessment of its "objectives, scope and feasibility", and then, after a consultation phase, a second and final discussion must be examined article by article for final approval.
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