IUSY DEMANDS A GENERAL AMNESTY FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS IN VENEZUELA

July 2026 American Committee

Over recent years, Venezuela has undergone a profound political, institutional, economic, and social crisis, characterized by the progressive weakening of the separation of powers, the erosion of the autonomy of state institutions, and the use of the justice system as an instrument of political control. In this context, the exercise of constitutional rights such as peaceful protest, freedom of expression, political organization, and citizen participation has increasingly been criminalized, giving rise to patterns of selective persecution against political leaders, social activists, trade unionists, students, and citizens without party affiliation, whose only “crime” has been expressing dissent or demanding change through democratic means.
Detentions carried out under these circumstances have, in numerous cases, taken place without due process, through vague or disproportionate charges, the abusive use of pretrial detention, denial of the right to legal defense, and unjustified procedural delays, in clear contradiction with the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the international human rights treaties ratified by the Venezuelan State. These practices not only violate fundamental individual rights, but have also contributed to deepening polarization, fear, and social mistrust, seriously undermining the prospects for political dialogue and national reconciliation.
The existence of individuals deprived of liberty for political reasons constitutes one of the main obstacles to the country’s democratic normalization, making it imperative to adopt extraordinary measures such as a general amnesty aimed at restoring individual rights, healing social wounds, and opening a genuine path toward peace, coexistence, and institutional reconstruction.
We demand that the National Government, the Legislative Branch, and all competent institutions immediately approve a general amnesty law that unconditionally releases all citizens imprisoned for political reasons or for exercising peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and political participation.
We urge that the amnesty include all sectors of Venezuelan society—supporters and opponents, social, trade union, and student activists—without any discrimination, as an indispensable step toward restoring the rule of law, dignity, and trust in public institutions.
We call for the immediate and safe release of all persons currently detained for political reasons, without subsequent judicial persecution, and with the full restoration of their civil rights.
We request that international human rights bodies, diplomatic missions, and the international community accompany this process through monitoring mechanisms that guarantee justice, transparency, and the non-repetition of arbitrary detentions.
IUSY, as the largest and oldest youth organization in the world, reaffirms its commitment to democratic dialogue, social justice, national peace, and the reconstruction of the social pact in Venezuela—an essential condition for advancing toward a more just and plural country.