Venezuela’s National Assembly approves Amnesty Law

The National Assembly (AN) of Venezuela unanimously approved this Thursday the Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence, proposed by the acting president, Delcy Rodríguez. In accordance with local laws, the legislative initiative was submitted to public consultation among different sectors of Venezuelan society, after obtaining the green light in its first discussion, which allowed for the addition of matters not initially contemplated, as well as the clarification of aspects that had ambiguity.

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In accordance with the explanatory memorandum, this regulation “seeks coexistence and peace among Venezuelans” so that a “coexistence from diversity and plurality […] with respect for the law and justice” is achieved, with the understanding that it is the Legislative Power’s responsibility to “dictate measures” of reparation to address the “deep wounds” that exist in Venezuelan society, as a result of “political confrontation from extremism”. The legal text is based on values such as respect for “life, liberty, justice, equality, solidarity, democracy, social responsibility, human rights, ethics and political pluralism”, which integrate the “democratic and social state of law and justice”. Furthermore, “clear safeguards” are established regarding the crimes that will be excluded from the legal instrument, namely: “serious violations of human rights, crimes against humanity, war crimes, intentional homicide, corruption and drug trafficking.” Before its approval, the Venezuelan Government reported that between November 2025 and the beginning of the present month, 896 people have been released from prison, detained for allegedly having committed crimes related to political violence or after having been found guilty of such actions.

The main points of the law

The document states that the instrument aims to “grant a general and full amnesty” to persons “prosecuted or convicted for the alleged or proven commission of political or related crimes, from January 1, 1999, to January 30, 2026.”

The facts taken into account from that period are:

• Coup d’état of April 11, 2002, including assaults and attacks against governorships, mayoralties, and public and private facilities.
• The acts of violence for political reasons within the framework of the strike and business and oil sabotage of December of 2002 to February of 2003.
• The acts of violence for political reasons that occurred in February and March and in August of 2004; in May of 2007; after the presidential elections of 2013; in February and June of 2014; March and August of 2017; in January and April of 2019 and in the presidential elections of July of 2024.

With the approval of the law, the Police, the investigation bodies and the military “will consider the investigations and procedures relating to the facts as concluded”. Similarly, the files on the processes opened to the amnestied persons must be eliminated. The National Executive will be responsible for developing and implementing mechanisms to ensure compliance with legal regulations. As a first measure, a special commission was established, made up of 23 parliamentarians from all political factions, who will be in charge of monitoring the implementation of the amnesty.

A Presidential Request

On January 23rd, the acting president announced the creation of the Program for Democratic Coexistence and Peace, which aims in its first hundred days to develop a national plan “oriented to the consolidation of the country’s tranquility in all its dimensions”.

Days later, Rodríguez revealed that he would promote an amnesty law covering the political period between 1999, when President Hugo Chávez first took office, to the present. Previously, the president of the AN, Jorge Rodríguez, stated that the “Bolivarian forces” made an “initial contribution” for the “beginning of the national dialogue” between the different sectors of the political, economic, cultural and social life of the country.

“What we would like is for this law to send a powerful, potent message, of the intention of a new political moment, which also accelerates dialogue,” he pointed out.