Venezuela’s parliament on Thursday gave initial approval to a landmark amnesty bill covering the types of charges long used to imprison dissidents under ousted leader Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez.
The bill, however, excludes serious human rights abuses committed during 27 years of socialist rule.
The legislation, aimed at drawing a line under nearly three decades of state repression, marks an early milestone in Venezuela’s post-Maduro transition.
It was championed by interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who replaced Maduro after he was captured by US forces in Caracas last month and flown to New York to stand trial.
The Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, covers charges such as “treason”, “terrorism” and spreading “”hate”—offences frequently used to jail critics during the “Chavista” era under both Maduro and Chávez.
Rodríguez described parliament’s first-reading approval as “a very important step” towards “peace and national reconciliation”.
The bill also lifts bans preventing several opposition figures from standing for office, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado.
Debate in the National Assembly was highly emotional, with lawmakers from both the ruling “Chavista” bloc and the opposition appealing for reconciliation.
Parliament speaker Jorge Rodríguez—the interim president’s brother and until recently a member of Maduro’s inner circle—apologised to Venezuelans for crimes committed by the state since Chávez came to power in 1999.
“We ask for forgiveness, and we too must forgive,” he said, holding up a photograph of Chávez clutching a crucifix.
Opposition MP Tomás Guanipa, who has one brother in prison and another under house arrest, said the bill could usher in a “new, historic chapter” for Venezuela, in which people would no longer be “afraid to speak their minds for fear of being imprisoned”.
Maduro’s son, lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra, also called for unity, saying, “Venezuela cannot endure any more acts of revenge.”
Lawmakers are due to take up the bill again on Tuesday for its final reading.
Crimes against humanity
The draft law covers events including the failed 2002 coup against Chávez, waves of protests between 2004 and 2024, and criticism posted on social media or messaging platforms.
Crucially, it does not grant amnesty for “serious violations of human rights, crimes against humanity, war crimes, intentional homicide, corruption and drug trafficking”, which cannot be pardoned under the constitution.
The bill does, however, cover unspecified “offences” committed by judges, prosecutors and other officials.
Last week’s announcement of a general amnesty sparked scenes of celebration across Venezuela, raising hopes for the swift release of hundreds of political prisoners still detained a month after Maduro’s removal from power.
Alfredo Romero, director of leading human rights organisation Foro Penal welcomed the draft law as a major step towards reconciling a deeply divided nation.
“Amnesty is the framework that will ensure that the past does not serve to halt or derail transition processes,” Romero told AFP.
Some Venezuelans have expressed hopes that members of Maduro’s inner circle will ultimately face justice.
However, Romero warned, “Reconciliation and transition cannot become a process of persecution against those who previously held power.”
Forceful message
Thursday’s parliamentary debate coincided with a new round of talks between the government and a faction of the opposition that has distanced itself from the main bloc led by Machado.
The opposition is pushing for fresh elections to replace those held in July 2024, which Maduro claimed to have won despite no official results ever being released—a claim widely dismissed internationally.
Maduro’s allies remained in office after US troops arrested him and flew him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
US President Donald Trump backed Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume power, signalling that stability would take precedence over democratic reform.
Since taking office, Rodríguez has shown a willingness to cooperate, releasing hundreds of political prisoners and taking steps towards restoring diplomatic relations with Washington, which were severed in 2019.
