by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
CARACAS (Worthy News) – Venezuelan authorities have released Rafael Tudares, the son-in-law of opposition leader Edmundo González, after more than a year in detention, his wife confirmed Thursday, but concerns remained about other political prisoners held under the current rulers, advocacy groups said.
Tudares, a 46-year-old lawyer, was freed after being held since January 2025, according to several sources. Authorities have not publicly detailed the conditions of his freedom.
The release comes less than a month after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the capture and removal of Venezuela’s authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in Caracas, an intervention that reshaped Venezuela’s political landscape and drew praise and condemnation internationally.
Tudares was reportedly arrested while taking his children to school in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and was later accused of “terrorism,” a charge frequently levied against government critics.
Relatives and human-rights advocates have consistently rejected the accusations as politically motivated, saying Tudares was targeted because of his family connection to the opposition.
INDEPENDENT MONITORS
Human-rights groups say that while some political detainees have been freed by Venezuelan authorities in recent weeks, those releases do not yet constitute a structural reform of the justice system or guarantee genuine freedom for former prisoners.
Many freed detainees remain subject to legal restrictions or face the risk of re-arrest, according to rights groups and local non governmental organizations
They continue to call for the unconditional release of all those imprisoned for political reasons, and for independent investigations into alleged abuses within Venezuela’s justice and security systems, saying international norms on human rights accountability have not yet been met.
Rights advocates note that an estimated hundreds of political prisoners were held under the Maduro government and that the pace and transparency of releases remain contested.
Opposition leaders and human-rights organizations argue that arrests on politically charged terrorism-related accusations have been used to silence dissent. Venezuelan authorities maintain those jailed committed criminal offenses.
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE GESTURE
Earlier this month, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado — a 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate — presented her Nobel medal to U.S. President Trump during a White House meeting, as “recognition of his role in supporting Venezuela’s transition.”
Machado described the moment as historic and a symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people. Trump, who publicly lobbied for the pwrote on social media that the presentation was “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
The Norwegian Nobel Institute later reaffirmed that the award itself — distinct from the physical medal — cannot be transferred to another person, and that the laureate remains permanently recorded as the recipient.
Despite praising Machado and the Nobel gesture, Trump has not formally endorsed her as Venezuela’s new leader, noting that she did not currently have the necessary political support within the country.
Instead, he continues diplomatic engagement with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president and current acting head of state.
However, Machado told reporters she believed “we can count on President Trump,” framing the Nobel medal presentation as a symbol of shared commitment to Venezuelan freedom. She and others want Venezuelan authorities to ensure accountability for “past abuses”and to support for “democratic transition measures”that uphold human-rights obligations.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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