Venezuela frees army officers charged with plotting Maduro coup

• Three former Venezuelan police officers jailed over the 2002 coup unrest were released after 23 years in prison under a humanitarian measure.

In a major development amid Venezuela’s rapidly shifting political landscape, authorities have released three long-serving Metropolitan Police officers who were among the country's most prominent prisoners.

The officers - Héctor Rovaín, Luis Molina, and Erasmo Bolívar - were released on humanitarian grounds after spending 23 years behind bars. They had been convicted in connection with the chaotic and violent events of April 11, 2002, when a massive opposition protest marched toward the Miraflores presidential palace, triggering a brief, 48-hour military coup that temporarily ousted then-President Hugo Chávez.

A Controversial Legacy of the 2002 Coup

The three officers were considered by human rights organizations and opposition figures to be Venezuela’s longest-serving political prisoners. Alongside top police commissioners, they were originally sentenced to maximum 30-year prison terms for their alleged roles in the deaths of demonstrators during the 2002 unrest.

Defense lawyers and human rights groups have long maintained that the judicial process against the men was riddled with irregularities and that they were convicted without conclusive evidence.

Video footage shared by local prisoner advocacy groups showed the men emotional, wearing prison uniforms, and kneeling to kiss the ground upon exiting the Fénix Penitentiary Complex in Lara state.

"Their lives changed completely after 23 years in prison," said Yajaira Forero, a human rights activist and attorney who has closely followed the case. "We have been fighting for them for years, and every time their release was previously denied, it was a source of deep pain."

Part of a Broader Release Wave

The order for their release was announced by Jorge Rodríguez, the head of the National Assembly. According to government officials, the measure is part of a broader humanitarian initiative that is expected to result in the release of roughly 300 additional prisoners.

The decision comes at a highly tumultuous time for Venezuela. Following a dramatic US military operation in January that resulted in the abduction and removal of Nicolás Maduro to face US narcoterrorism charges, the interim authorities in Caracas under Acting President Delcy Rodríguez have faced immense pressure to address long-standing human rights concerns and realign the country’s heavily fractured political and military factions.

The freed officers are scheduled to appear before a court to receive the formal terms and oversight conditions of their release.