An Amnesty Under Pressure: Why Venezuela’s Transition Feels Hollow
The United States’ intervention in Venezuela made the country the trendiest topic at the start of 2026. Following the intervention, the regime suddenly claimed a moral awakening and hastily developed a measure to grant ‘clemency’ to political prisoners. Here is the thing: clemency does not need to be granted to a group of people whose only crime was to defend their right to freedom of speech. They should never have been deprived of their freedom in the first place.
As a Venezuelan, it is inevitable to see that for many years, while protesting for our human rights, we were invisible to the rest of the world. Legal or not, the U.S. intervention was a push in the right direction. Venezuelan people feel a shred of hope after the intervention, and although we know it is driven by foreign interests, we cautiously welcome it. Years and years of deaths, protests, torture, and illegal imprisonments have proven the Venezuelan people’s efforts to end the regime are not enough. We would have wanted it differently, but something was finally done. The intervention lacks structure and a specific plan; uncertainty still reigns. With the current regime still in power, Venezuela is experiencing a pause in violence, but not a genuine transformation or transition to democracy.
Crisis Significance, Repression, and Collapse
Venezuela’s crisis is defined by systematic repression, with nearly 19,000 arbitrary detentions for political reasons documented since 2014. The UN Fact-Finding Mission found that the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) has been the main perpetrator of "acts of extreme cruelty” and enforced disappearances. The acts included systematic torture such as electric shocks, beatings, and sexual violence. The 2024 violence caused at least 25 deaths and over 2,220 detentions, including at least 218 children and adolescents. It is crucial to note that these are only the documented detentions and abuses; we will likely never know the true gravity of the situation. The human rights violations in Venezuela are accompanied by economic implosion. The Venezuelan people implored to be heard and encountered pure violence. The collapse was fueled by corruption, with an estimated $60 billion to $105 billion extracted illicitly through opaque state funds like Fonden and the Chinese Fund between 2005 and 2025. The hyperinflation peaked at over 1,600,000% in 2018, destroying purchasing power and triggering a humanitarian emergency marked by severe shortages of food and medicine. The combination of an abusive and corrupt government made Venezuelans desperate for freedom at any cost, and if that meant an intervention, almost anything seemed better than the status quo.
Since the intervention and the fall of Nicolás Maduro, the interim president Delcy Rodríguez has passed an Amnesty Law under intense pressure from the United States. This law represents the first palpable change that resulted from the intervention. Yet the measure seems to fall short for a country that has been so deeply tortured and robbed. The law feels like a rushed attempt to narrowly comply with the conditions the United States has set.
The Amnesty Law: Is the Venezuelan Government Becoming More Just?
The short answer is no. The Amnesty Law is a step in the right direction, although a step that the people would have never dreamed of if it were not for the intervention. The law was pushed through on February 19, 2026, and declared itself as a law for “democratic coexistence”. The law covers specific events from 1999 to 2026 and provides the legal authorization to empty the detention centers, like the Helicoide, the biggest torture center in the country. However, the main issue lies with the fact that there are no guarantees that people will not be re-arrested and brought up on different charges. The law covers amnesty on arrests made during specific events, such as the post-election period in 2024, and others along the course of the years, but covers nothing in between those dates. Additionally, this law actually benefits the government as it will erase all records of arrests related to these events, including documentation of state abuses like torture. This will most likely make it harder for them to be prosecuted before the International Criminal Court. It also offers absolutely no compensation for losses, no support for the victims, and no guarantee that this will not happen again.
Concrete cases already show how fragile these supposed changes are. Juan Pablo Guanipa, a member of the opposition, was released after spending eight months in prison for challenging the 2024 election result. Within hours, he was kidnapped by the government, who later claimed that this was because he had “breached the terms of his release". According to the opposition, this did not occur.
The law further reveals its selective nature by denying amnesty to anyone accused of inciting or facilitating foreign government intervention in Venezuela, a charge that applies to many opposition figures, including Perkins Rocha, Maria Corina Machado's lawyer and representative of "Comando con Venezuela" before the National Electoral Council in the July 28, 2024 elections. Rocha is currently under house arrest and being denied amnesty on charges of terrorism offenses, conspiracy with a foreign government, criminal association, and treason against the state, accusations the dictatorship routinely uses against its critics. The government arbitrarily handpicks who the amnesty law applies to and whenever it is convenient for them. This shows that even if the Amnesty Law has been passed and some change is visible, the regime itself remains unchanged. People should not be fooled: any "change" is a consequence of U.S. government pressure, not out of the sudden goodwill of the regime. The repressive apparatus remains intact.
Additionally, Tarek William Saab, former Attorney General of Venezuela, has announced his resignation. The UN Fact-Finding Mission concluded that Saab “led the State action that resulted in human rights violations”, and has been known to paralyze and delay investigations. Yet, after stepping down, he was appointed as “Defensor del Pueblo” (the ombudsman), a position he had filled before, from 2014 to 2017. The same man who repressed the people for years and ordered unjust incarcerations is now responsible for defending the people. This is precisely why the Venezuelan people are still afraid and do not trust the supposed democratic transition now in progress.
Conclusion
The Venezuelan people have already voted and decided their future, both in previous years and more recently in 2024. Venezuela has been loud and clear. While we understand that elections must be held again, the interim government now in place is illegitimate, as it has not been chosen by the Venezuelan people. Additionally, the inconsistencies in their actions are appalling. Venezuelans are still oppressed, and the proposed amnesty law does not change that. The changes are simply being triggered by U.S. government pressure, and not by any change of heart or goodwill on the part of the regime. The regime's oppression apparatus must be dismantled for real change to occur and for a democratic transition process in Venezuela to begin. Crucially, this transition must be led by the people's representatives, chosen through free and fair elections.
The international community must pressure and hold the United States accountable for delays in organizing fair elections. The United States is working closely with Delcy Rodríguez, striking mining deals with an illegitimate president, and reopening the United States embassy in Venezuela. Yet they continue to disregard the fact that Venezuela remains an oppressive dictatorship. Given their intervention, it is imperative that the United States prosecute the rest of the repressive apparatus and organize free and fair elections with the support of Venezuelan professionals who have never been affiliated with the dictatorship. The Venezuelan people are tired of leading revolts with no hope, revolts that only end in imprisonment and violence. Only sustained pressure from the international community can accelerate this process and give voice to those who can no longer fight.
Angélica López Arcay is a senior BA candidate in Political Science and International Studies at Saint Louis University – Madrid, with a minor in Modern Languages and Intercultural Communication. A native of Venezuela, her cross-cultural background shapes her research on the Latin American region, with interests spanning human rights, drug policy, trade, migration, and foreign aid. She is a member of the Human Rights Club and previously served as a Corporate Social Responsibility intern at a Venezuelan company, where she coordinated NGO partnerships and led community-focused social initiatives.
The OCC publishes a wide range of opinions that are meant to help our readers think of International Relations. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and neither the OCC nor Saint Louis University can be held responsible for any use which may be made of the opinion of the author and/or the information contained therein.
To quote this article, please use the following reference:
Arcay, A. L. (2026, March). An Amnesty Under Pressure: Why Venezuela’s Transition Feels Hollow. Observatory On Contemporary Crises. https://www.crisesobservatory.org/post/an-amnesty-under-pressure-why-venezuela-s-transition-feels-hollow
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