Venezuela releases at least 40 youths arrested during protests – Firstpost

According to a human rights group, at least 40 young people were released from prison in Venezuela over the weekend. They were arrested during anti-government protests following the controversial presidential election in Venezuela at the end of July.

Venezuela's electoral council and its supreme court have declared President Nicolás Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election, but have not yet released complete vote tallies. Venezuela's opposition has released its own tallies, showing a landslide victory for its candidate, Edmundo González.

In the street protests following the elections, 27 people were killed and 2,400 others were arrested. The Venezuelan government blames the opposition for the deaths, while opponents accuse the government of conducting a campaign of repression.

Alfredo Romero, president of the nongovernmental human rights organization Foro Penal, wrote on X on Saturday that at least 40 youths arrested during the protests in the states of Tachira, Merida, Amazonas, Bolivar and Lara had been released from prison.

Venezuelan authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.