María Corina Machado renews call for the release of political prisoners outside a Venezuelan prison

GUATIRE, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Friday renewed her calls on the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez to release all of the country’s political prisoners, joining the loved ones of dozens of detainees in a demonstration outside a prison.

Machado, who returned to Venezuela from exile less than two weeks ago, spoke to prisoners’ relatives, some of whom have spent months holding vigil outside the prison in hopes of seeing their loved ones walk free.

Rodríguez’s government, under pressure from the United States, began releasing political prisoners after Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro was deposed in January, but hundreds of people remain behind bars for political reasons.

“María Corina, free them all!” a woman yelled as the politician exited a sport utility vehicle. “We love you!”

Machado read out loud the names of dozens of prisoners before walking up a steep hill to a spot near the prison where relatives have identified that prisoners can hear them chant.

“I’m here with you! You are not alone!” she yelled, drawing tears from many in the crowd outside the facility in Guatire, a community 31 miles (50 km) east of Caracas, the capital. “Freedom for all political prisoners. Justice for the victims, reparations for the families, memory so that it never happens again.”

Machado left shortly after as people sang Venezuela’s national anthem.

Machado's return last month came after seven failed attempts that opposition activists claimed were thwarted by Rodríguez's government, raising doubts about the possible involvement of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. government has denied it.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the “safe” return of the politician was the result of “reconciliation talks” supported by his country, which he considered “the best opportunity” Venezuela has had in three decades to achieve free and fair elections and a lasting democracy.

Neither Machado nor her political platform are participating in these dialogues, although she has stated that she will not obstruct them.

Rodríguez took over in Venezuela after the surprise U.S. military raid in January that captured Maduro and took him to New York to face drug trafficking charges, which he denies. Rodríguez's court-allowed term expired in July, but she continues to function as Venezuela’s head of state.

The release of all political prisoners has long been a demand from the opposition, whose representatives have pushed for it during dialogues with the ruling party over the years.

The Venezuelan prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal estimates that more than 300 people are detained in the South American country for political reasons.

Yanire Calderón, whose brother-in-law has been imprisoned for more than six years, said Machado’s visit gives prisoners and their loved ones hope that their ordeal will end soon.

“What we want are elections in order to see change,” said Calderón, whose relative was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being linked to a failed plot to oust Maduro and needs cancer treatment.