Over 1,000 Political Prisoners Released in Venezuela, Selection of 32 New Supreme Court Justices Underway... U.S. Department of State Welcomes Conclusion of 3rd Political Reconciliation Talks

United States

The U.S. Department of State announced that more than 1,000 political prisoners have been released in Venezuela since Operation Absolute Resolve and that the selection of 32 new Supreme Court justices is underway. In an October 22 statement by Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the announcement came as the U.S. welcomed the conclusion of the third round of political reconciliation talks between the transitional government and the 2015 Venezuelan National Assembly led by Dr. Dinorah Figuera. The Department of State explained that during these talks, an agreement was reached to review and revise several repressive laws. It also urged the immediate release of all remaining political prisoners.

Third Round of Talks Produces Agreement to Revise Repressive Laws and Moves Reconstruction of Supreme Court Forward

The Department of State placed the third round of talks within the continuation of a Venezuelan-led process. The statement noted that this process continues to strengthen democratic institutions, expand political freedoms, and lay the foundation for free, fair, and credible elections. Spokesperson Pigott posted the same message on X, stating that the talks focused on expanding political freedom and participation.

As the first concrete deliverable, the Department of State cited legislation. It stated that during the talks, an agreement was reached to work toward reviewing and revising several repressive laws to expand political and social freedoms and guarantee the participation of all political forces. The Department of State described this as a concrete outcome.

The second was the Supreme Court. The Department of State announced that efforts to reconstitute an independent Supreme Court made further progress during these talks, and that this work continues toward the selection of 32 new Supreme Court justices. This was explained not as the completion of the selection, but that the selection process is currently underway.

The Department of State also summarized changes that have occurred since the talks began. Press freedom has been strengthened, and access to more than 70 previously blocked websites was restored. An agreement was also reached to repatriate gold reserves held at the Bank of England to use for earthquake relief. It noted that efforts to amend the repressive anti-hate law also progressed.

Thirty-Two Supreme Court Justices to Be Selected by December, with Vetting Body Composed Solely of Judges Screening Candidates

The structure for reconstituting the Supreme Court is detailed in a fact sheet released by the Department of State on October 9. The Department of State noted that following the talks, the 2026 National Assembly promulgated a law reforming the Supreme Court selection process, with 32 new justices to be chosen by December. It added that the credibility of the selection process is critical because the Supreme Court will ultimately rule on challenges to Venezuelan election results.

Candidates are screened through a two-stage process. As a result of the talks, a seven-member Qualifications Committee composed entirely of judges was established to evaluate candidates and forward only qualified jurists to the Judicial Nominations Committee. The Department of State called such a body unprecedented and noted that the 2015 National Assembly appointed a majority of the Qualifications Committee. The Judicial Nominations Committee, composed of 11 sitting members of the National Assembly and 12 civil society representatives, selects the 32 Supreme Court justice nominees from the committee's approved list.

The Department of State assessed that this process incorporates safeguards to enhance transparency and ensure that the new justices are qualified and not tied to the Maduro regime. The ongoing selection of 32 justices announced in the October 22 statement is built upon this process.

Access Restored to Over 70 Blocked Websites, Committee Formed to Amend Anti-Hate Law Penalties

Achievements in the media sector were outlined with figures in the October 9 fact sheet. The Department of State noted that the transitional government has restored or partially restored access to more than 70 previously blocked internet domains, including several local news websites. The "more than 70 websites" mentioned in the October 22 statement corresponds to this figure.

On the legal front is the anti-hate law enacted in 2017. The Department of State explained that this law prescribed up to 20 years in prison for "promoting or inciting hatred, discrimination, or violence" and was notorious for being used by the Maduro regime to imprison opposition leaders and critics of the regime. The fact sheet stated that the National Assembly has formed a committee to amend the criminal penalty provisions and decriminalize aspects of the law.

The issue of repatriating gold was also mentioned in the same fact sheet. The Department of State wrote that it welcomed joint efforts with the transitional government to recover gold held in the United Kingdom. The October 22 statement noted that these efforts led to an agreement to use the funds for earthquake relief.

State Department Cites Total of Over 1,000 Released Political Prisoners, Urges Immediate Release of All Remaining Detainees

The section on political prisoners contains the most specific numbers in the statement. The Department of State wrote that the transitional government has released a substantial number of political prisoners since the reconciliation process began, bringing the total to more than 1,000 since Operation Absolute Resolve. Immediately following that, the Department of State added that it continues to urge the immediate release of all political prisoners.

The October 9 fact sheet detailed the same numbers with dates. It stated that the transitional government had released more than 1,000 political prisoners since Operation Absolute Resolve on January 3, and announced the additional release of 177 political prisoners after the talks began in August. The Department of State cited among those released Juan Pablo Guanipa, an adviser to María Corina Machado; Freddy Superlano, a former gubernatorial candidate; and Enrique Márquez, a former presidential candidate. It also noted that opposition figures Claudia Macero and Omar González Moreno, who had fled abroad to escape politically motivated charges, had returned home.

Negotiations Began After Operation Absolute Resolve, Secretary Rubio Met with President Figuera on October 9

The reconciliation talks are a political process that began after Operation Absolute Resolve. According to the Department of State fact sheet, one side of the negotiations is President Figuera representing the 2015 National Assembly, and the other side is the transitional government delegation led by Jorge Rodríguez, the current National Assembly president. The Department of State described the 2015 National Assembly as the last democratically elected legislative body recognized by all Venezuelan political parties and the international community. The delegations held two rounds of talks in Caracas in August and September, with a third round scheduled for October 14.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with President Figuera on October 9 at the Department of State in Washington. According to the Department of State readout, the Secretary commended President Figuera's courageous leadership in guiding political reconciliation following Operation Absolute Resolve and urged continued progress on political freedoms and electoral reforms during the next round of talks beginning October 14.

In public remarks before the meeting, the Secretary told President Figuera that she had "100% support." He stated that what is desired for Venezuela is not just an election, but an enduring democracy. The Secretary said the country is recovering from a deep wound spanning nearly a quarter of a century, and that this represents the best opportunity in nearly a generation for an election that is not only free and fair, but that can also leave behind an enduring democracy for the next generation.

The Secretary reiterated that this process must include the participation of all sectors of society, and that the process led by President Figuera and her team has the strongest support at the highest levels of the government. He also noted that tangible results have already been achieved and that more results are needed. He encouraged everyone who cares about the future of Venezuela to engage in this process in a constructive way. He added that a peaceful transition requires significant effort, some patience, free and fair elections, and institutions that support stability, prosperity, and freedom.

Secretary Rubio also posted on X on the day of the meeting, writing that he had a productive meeting with President Figuera, that tangible progress had been achieved during the first two rounds of talks following Operation Absolute Resolve, and that he looked forward to sustained progress in the next round of talks starting October 14.

Third Round of Talks Began October 14, Department of State Expresses Support for Venezuelan-Led Process

In its October 9 fact sheet, the Department of State outlined the objectives of the third round of talks as finalizing the Supreme Court selection process and guaranteeing the participation of individuals and political parties necessary for credible elections. It noted that future rounds of talks would address reforming the National Electoral Council, repealing remaining repressive laws, and opening space for all political parties and leaders to return and engage in political activities. This scope aligns with the focus on the Supreme Court, repressive laws, and guaranteeing participation highlighted in the October 22 statement.

The third round of talks began on October 14. The following day, October 15, Spokesperson Pigott posted on X that they saw the resumption the previous day of another round of Venezuelan-led reconciliation talks. He stated that the importance to the American people was very clear: the United States wants to see a Venezuela that is free, prosperous, and a partner of the United States, to the benefit of the citizens of both nations.

In its October 22 statement, the Department of State placed this process within the three-phase plan of President Trump and Secretary Rubio. The plan leads to a peaceful democratic transition through stabilization, economic recovery, and political reconciliation, with this third round of talks corresponding to the final phase of political reconciliation. The statement pledged that the Trump administration will continue to support this Venezuelan-led process.

The statement also reiterated Secretary Rubio's October 9 meeting, recounting that the Secretary praised President Figuera's courageous leadership and urged continued progress on political freedoms and electoral reforms. The Department of State addressed both this meeting and the third round of talks together within a single statement.

Sources (KST)

• U.S. Department of State · 2026-10-22 · https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/10/advancing-venezuelas-democratic-transition-through-reconciliation-talks/
• U.S. Department of State · 2026-10-09 Fact Sheet · https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/10/reconciliation-talks-deliver-concrete-progress-for-venezuelas-democratic-transition
• U.S. Department of State · 2026-10-09 Meeting Readout · https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/10/secretary-rubios-meeting-with-venezuelas-2015-national-assembly-president-dinorah-figuera/
• U.S. Department of State · 2026-10-09 Public Remarks · https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/10/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-and-2015-venezuelan-national-assembly-president-dinorah-figuera-before-their-meeting/
• X @statedeptspox · https://x.com/statedeptspox/status/2113422831644266869
• X @SecRubio · https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2108578564874416599
• X @statedeptspox · https://x.com/statedeptspox/status/2110877239533601246