Political prisoners

Cuba reached a new record of 1,260 political prisoners in April, according to a report released Thursday by the human rights organization Prisoners Defenders, which alleged a worsening pattern of torture, sexual assaults, death threats and denial of medical care inside the island's prison system.

One of the biggest concerns for Venezuela's opposition following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US special forces in January was the fate of thousands of political prisoners who had been detained since Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, took power.

Independent journalist Luis Cino told Spain's ABC that a state security officer warned him "all counterrevolutionaries will be removed" if the United States attacks Cuba

Venezuela's prisons ministry has admitted that a man whose 82-year-old mother spent months searching for him until this week had already died in state custody in July 2025. In a statement released on May 7, the ministry said Víctor Hugo Quero Navas had died of medical complications.

Human Rights Watch said Cuba's recent pardon of more than 2,000 inmates did not include political prisoners, reinforcing earlier concerns raised by other rights groups that the measure would exclude detainees jailed for dissent.

The pardons applied to some young people, people over 60, women and foreigners

Nearly 800 political prisoners remain detained in Venezuela despite a series of announced releases earlier this month following the capture of authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro.

A day after Venezuelan authorities announced the release of a "significant number" of political prisoners, human rights monitors say only eight releases have been confirmed so far.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he cancelled a previously anticipated second wave of U.S. military attacks on Venezuela after the country's authorities began releasing political prisoners.

Venezuela's National Assembly president, Jorge Rodríguez, announced that the government has begun releasing a "significant number" of political prisoners.

Trump's remarks came a day after Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado accused Rodríguez of being responsible for systematic torture

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro marked the start of Christmas celebrations on October 1 by launching fireworks from El Helicoide, a Caracas detention facility widely documented as a site of torture

The report says prisoners are bombarded with propaganda broadcasts of Nicolás Maduro and ruling party leaders, while families describe harsh restrictions on food, visits, and communication

A Venezuelan human rights organization has denounced the disappearance of four members of a family, including an elderly woman and a 2-year-old girl, after they were detained without a warrant in the state of Carabobo earlier this month.

Former prisoners of the Soviet Union's communist regime have written a letter addressing Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy clash in the Oval Office.

Mark Swidan had been arrested for 12 years on drug charges

The Venezuelan government is unwilling to grant a blanket amnesty to opposition protesters, but it is ready to examine individual cases -- especially those of students arrested in connection with the protests, says a Brazilian ambassador present at the talks.

The opposition and government say they'll create a team to deal with the question of political prisoners during their next meeting.