Interim President Delcy Rodríguez Declares Closure of El Helicoide, Venezuela's Notorious Chavista Torture Center

On Jan. 30–31, 2026, Interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced a proposed general amnesty covering “the whole period of political violence from 1999 to the present.”

“Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced an amnesty bill that could free hundreds of prisoners held for political reasons — including opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists — a move long demanded by the United States-backed opposition”

ABC News

She also ordered the closure of El Helicoide, the notorious Caracas detention center, saying it will be converted into a social, sports, and cultural complex.

ABC News

Multiple outlets reported Rodríguez made the announcement before the Supreme Court or at a high‑level judicial ceremony.

They also reported that the bill will be sent urgently to the regime-controlled National Assembly for consideration.

Authorities presented the move as a measure to “heal the wounds” of political confrontation, and it could free hundreds of detainees if approved.

Government statements about who has been freed and how many differ sharply from counts by rights groups.

Venezuelan authorities and ministers have touted releases ranging from more than 600 to 808 people freed.

Al Jazeera

NGOs and monitors such as Foro Penal report far lower numbers of full releases and warn many beneficiaries remain subject to travel bans, gag orders, surveillance or continued prosecutions.

Independent tallies vary, with Foro Penal cited as tracking roughly 302-383 releases and, in some reports, estimating about 711 remain in custody, leaving the true scale of effective freedom unclear.

Many outlets report the amnesty’s broad temporal scope.

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Balkanweb

Several outlets stress important legal exclusions and uncertainty because the amnesty text has not been published.

Coverage repeatedly notes the planned law would exclude people convicted of homicide, drug trafficking, corruption, or human‑rights abuses.

Some reporters emphasize that exact eligibility rules, timelines, and safeguards are currently unclear because the bill has yet to be made public.

The announcement to close and repurpose El Helicoide drew cautious welcome from families and sharp warnings from rights groups.

Reports note plans to convert the intelligence-run facility into a community social and sports center.

CiberCuba

Several outlets emphasize that El Helicoide has long been accused of torture and abuses by intelligence services.

They add that the declaration was made before officials whom former prisoners and rights organizations accuse of overseeing those abuses, prompting calls that any amnesty must not create impunity.

Reports place the move in a wider geopolitical context of a thaw with the United States and recent high-level interactions.

“Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has proposed an amnesty law that could free hundreds of political prisoners and close a notorious detention center, part of a series of concessions following the US capture of President Nicolás Maduro”

CNN

Outlets link the announcements to U.S.-Venezuela negotiations, a reported U.S. operation that led to Maduro's capture in some accounts, and conversations involving U.S. figures.

CNN

Some sources (CiberCuba, El Mundo, Balkanweb) explicitly tie the measures to external pressure or direct discussions between Rodríguez and U.S. actors.

Other outlets (Al Jazeera, France 24) focus on domestic legal steps and human-rights implications without assigning sole credit to U.S. influence.