Relatives at Rodeo I prison in Guatire reacted with cautious relief after the interim government pledged to free political detainees following the reported capture of Nicolás Maduro by US forces. Fewer than 20 prisoners have been released so far, and visiting families passed along the news during a normal Friday visitation. While inmates celebrated, relatives worried about reprisals and described harsh punishment cells and deteriorating conditions. Visitors brought hygiene supplies and maintained vigils as uncertainty over the pace and scope of releases continues.
Hope and Fear at Rodeo I: Families React to Reported Capture of Nicolás Maduro
Inmates' relatives waited outside El Rodeo I prison for their loved ones' release (Pedro MATTEY)(Pedro MATTEY/AFP/AFP)
A prisoner's face brightened when his wife told him that the man who had overseen his detention was now reportedly behind bars: Venezuela's ousted leader, Nicolás Maduro. The woman, who asked to be identified only as M. for fear of reprisals, had slept on the ground near the Rodeo I prison after the interim government said it would free jailed opponents following Maduro's capture by US forces.
Since the announcement on Thursday, fewer than 20 detainees have been released. Friday was a regular visiting day, however, and M. was able to pass the news to her husband through the glass partition separating inmates from visitors.
"I quietly told him: 'The one who had to be jailed is now in jail,'" she recalled, referring to Maduro, who was reportedly seized in a deadly US raid a week earlier and flown to New York to face drug‑trafficking and weapons charges. On the other side of the glass, M. said, her husband "smiled happily."
"Don't be afraid, my love, the worst is over," he told her, despite armed guards watching. M. urged caution: Venezuela's authoritarian, leftist leadership has previously promised prisoner releases and failed to follow through. "I told him to stay calm because you never know," she said. "We're so close, yet so far."
Joy and Caution
For years, political detainees and their families avoided discussing sensitive news during the tightly controlled weekly visits, which are monitored by armed guards. That code was broken this weekend after the interim government said it would free "a large number" of detainees — an apparent effort to placate Washington.
Relatives inside the visiting area used coded language and metaphors to pass along the news about the ousted leader's removal and the promise of releases. Prisoners reportedly celebrated, while relatives outside the jail stayed tense, fearing that guards might punish inmates for expressing joy.
"You never know if they were beaten or thrown into the time machine," said the sister of a detainee, using the jail's nickname for a punishment cell known for harsh conditions. "There they lock them up naked, handcuffed, hooded for days or weeks, with very little food, in darkness and without ventilation."
Visitations and Conditions
Family visits continued on Saturday but in smaller groups. Relatives arrived early — some at 7:00 a.m. — carrying labeled plastic bags with deodorant, toothpaste, soap and shampoo, plus disinfectant and bleach: essential items for hygiene in the cramped prison latrines.
Visitors, required to wear white, said they were searched and hooded as usual, but several reported that guards seemed "more hostile" than normal. Some inmates told visitors they could hear families singing the national anthem and hymns during vigils held nearby for two nights.
Concern about prisoners' health and safety was widespread. One visitor said her husband appeared emaciated and had suffered diarrhea for two days; she feared food tampering or poisoning. Others urged faith and patience as families await clearer action from authorities.
The situation remains fluid: a small number of releases have occurred, but many detainees and relatives are left waiting, uncertain whether the interim government's pledge will translate into broader, timely freedom.
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