U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed Venezuela to release more political prisoners during a Nov. 2 meeting with Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco, as the latest count from a Venezuelan rights group showed 322 people detained for political reasons as of Oct. 26.
The State Department said Rubio and Blanco discussed Venezuela’s reconciliation efforts and institutional reforms related to elections. Rubio also reaffirmed a plan covering stabilization, economic recovery and political reconciliation before a democratic transition. The readout gave no timetable for an election or further releases.
Foro Penal published its latest balance on Oct. 30, counting 307 men and 15 women among the 322 detainees. It classified 182 as civilians and 140 as military personnel; 151 had been sentenced and 171 had not. The group’s earlier balance, published Sept. 18, counted 344 people as of Sept. 14. The two figures are dated snapshots, not counts for the days they were published or for the Nov. 2 meeting.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also met Blanco on Nov. 2, the Treasury Department said. They discussed support for Venezuela’s economic recovery, including increasing energy production and reconnecting the financial sector.
The State Department’s account did not specify a date for an election or a deadline for additional prisoner releases.
