CARACAS, Sept 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pardoned more than 100 lawmakers and associates of opposition leader Juan Guaido “in the interests of promoting national reconciliation,” the government said.
Guaido’s assistant Roberto Marrero and lawmakers Gilber Caro and Renzo Prieto were among the names read out by Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez live on state television.
The presidential decree “comes into force from its publication” after which the courts “must implement immediate measures to liberate the persons mentioned,” said Rodriguez.
Marrero was arrested in March 2019 and accused of being part of a “terrorist cell” planning attacks to destabilize the Maduro government.
Guido himself was not among those pardoned, though, despite several cases open against him.
Those on the list of 110 people included opposition lawmaker Freddy Guevara, who fled to the Chilean embassy in the capital Caracas in 2017 after leading anti-government protests that left 125 people dead.
The Supreme Court — which has been accused of pandering to the regime — ordered that he be denied the freedom to leave the country.
Also among the pardoned is Henry Ramos Allup, the head of the Democratic Action party which is the oldest in Venezuela.
In addition, the order includes people with outstanding judicial cases, including opposition lawmakers living in exile.
The opposition considers Maduro a usurper over his 2018 re-election in a poll widely seen as fraudulent.
In January 2019, Guaido launched a challenge to Maduro’s authority by declaring himself acting president, quickly receiving the backing of more than 50 countries.
The pardons announcement came a day after Maduro claimed to be supporting measures to bring “reconciliation” and “dialogue” to the deeply polarized South American country ahead of December legislative elections.
Guaido and leading opposition figures have already vowed to boycott that election over a lack of transparency after the Supreme Court appointed election officials — a role that should have been conducted by the opposition-controlled legislature. — NNN-AGENCIES
