Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president, described the National Assembly’s unanimous first reading of an amnesty bill as a major step toward peace and national reconciliation.
Rodríguez said the bill, adopted in its first vote by all political forces present in the Assembly, represents a move to heal divisions after years of political conflict. She framed the measure as a law “for peace and national reconciliation.”
If enacted, the amnesty could result in the release of hundreds of opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained on political grounds.
Announcing the proposal in a pre-recorded televised address late last month, Rodríguez said: “May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism. May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans.” The bill was introduced just weeks after the US captured Maduro.
The measure still requires a second and final vote in the Assembly. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday for the final reading.
Jorge Rodríguez, head of the Assembly and the interim president’s brother, acknowledged the bill’s challenges, calling it a difficult but necessary step. “The path of this law is going to be full of obstacles, full of bitter moments,” he said. “We ask for forgiveness, and we also have to forgive.”
Under the draft, the amnesty would apply to political cases dating back to 1999, when Hugo Chávez took office, through the present day. It would remove bans that currently prevent some opposition figures, including María Corina Machado, from running for public office.
The proposal explicitly excludes people convicted of war crimes, murder, corruption or drug trafficking, and those found responsible for serious human rights violations.
Edited by: Sean Sinico