Spanish prisoners freed from Venezuela

Five Spanish nationals — including the Spanish-Venezuelan human rights activist Rocío San Miguel — have returned to Spain after being released from detention in Venezuela, in what Madrid has described as a “positive step” amid wider, still-unclear promises of political prisoner releases.

The Spanish government says its embassy in Caracas assisted the group as they prepared to travel, after their release on Thursday, 8 January. By Friday, 9 January, Spanish media and wire reports confirmed their arrival in Madrid.

Yet beyond these five cases, uncertainty remains. Human rights groups inside and outside Venezuela caution that announcements of a “significant number” of releases have not always translated into transparent, verifiable prison exits — and that families are still waiting outside detention centres for names to be confirmed.

Who are the five Spaniards released?

Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, identified the five as Andrés Martínez Adasme, José María Basoa, Ernesto Gorbe, Miguel Moreno, and Rocío San Miguel (a dual national).

Two of the men — Martínez and Basoa — had been detained since September 2024, after Venezuelan authorities accused them of involvement in a plot against Nicolás Maduro, an allegation Spain has previously rejected.

San Miguel, a lawyer and director of the NGO Control Ciudadano, was detained in February 2024 and had become one of the most prominent names linked to international calls for her release.

A release announcement — but how many are actually free?

Venezuelan authorities have spoken of releasing a “significant number” of detainees, including foreigners. But organisations tracking politically motivated detentions say the overall picture is still shifting hour by hour.

Spain’s case is unusually clear because Madrid has publicly confirmed identities, supported the travel process, and issued a formal government statement.

For the wider prison population, NGOs estimate Venezuela still holds hundreds of political prisoners, with dozens of foreign nationals among them — figures that have been repeated by major Spanish broadcasters reporting on the unfolding releases.

Why Spain’s role matters

Spain has long had a complex relationship with Venezuela: deep family links through migration, major diaspora communities on both sides of the Atlantic, and a steady stream of diplomatic crises whenever detentions involve dual nationals.

This week’s episode shows how quickly that sensitivity turns into real-world diplomacy. The Spanish government framed the releases as a constructive development — but implicitly left the door open for continued pressure if broader, verified releases do not follow.

Any UK or US nationals among those released?

United Kingdom:

As of Friday, 9 January, the clearest publicly confirmed foreign releases being widely reported in Spain were the five Spanish nationals. The UK government has recently reiterated its stance that Venezuela must release political prisoners as part of any democratic transition, but British officials have not, in those statements, confirmed specific UK names among this week’s releases.

United States:

US-linked reporting has described the releases as connected to negotiations and US pressure, while also noting that foreign detainees include Americans — though publicly verified names from this specific January release have not been consistently listed across primary sources available in Spain.

What to watch now in Venezuela

The immediate question is whether this is the start of a sustained opening — or a tightly managed gesture aimed at relieving pressure. Reporting from international outlets and Spanish broadcasters points to a familiar problem: announcements first, confirmation later, with families and lawyers left chasing paperwork at prison gates.

For Spain, the next phase is simpler and more human: ensuring the five released nationals receive medical, legal, and practical support as they rebuild their lives — while Madrid, quietly, tests whether Caracas will turn a headline into a pattern.

Sources:

La Moncloa, RTVE, Reuters