Under the slogan They Count, hundreds of activists and relatives of female political prisoners marched this Sunday in Caracas as part of International Women’s Day to demand an amnesty without exclusions. Venezuela approved an amnesty law two weeks ago, promoted by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, who has governed the country since Nicolás Maduro was captured in an operation carried out by U.S. military personnel.
According to records from the NGO Foro Penal, about 526 people, including 56 women, remain imprisoned for political reasons. Rule of law, democracy and freedom could be heard among the chants during the march, where participants carried flags and signs bearing the faces of the detained women.
Meanwhile, the acting president sent a message recognizing women on their day. Let us remain united around a single agenda: peace, work, and hope, to bring this ship safely to port, she wrote on Telegram. The demonstration focused on women prisoners who have not benefited from the amnesty, many of them suffering from health complications, according to complaints from women’s rights organizations.
Protesters also called for an end to violence against women, repression, and political persecution. We demand an end to torture and cruel treatment, activist Sairam Rivas said while reading a statement. Guarantees so that none are used as hostages, punished for thinking differently, or separated from their children for political reasons, she added.
Venezuelan women have led the demonstrations demanding faster action in releasing political prisoners. For the past two months, dozens of women have remained in a permanent vigil outside the country’s prisons and have resorted to extreme measures such as chaining themselves up and going on hunger strikes.
