Venezuela's longest-serving political prisoners released after 23 years behind bars

Hector Rovain, Luis Molina, and Erasmo Bolivar spent decades in prison without being able to bury or embrace family members. They were Metropolitan Police officers in Caracas and were accused without evidence, alongside six other officers, of involvement in two of the 19 deaths on April 11, 2002, when an opposition protest aimed to reach the Miraflores presidential palace and demonstrators were repelled by gunfire. Doubts remained about the origin of the bullets, and Hugo Chavez was briefly toppled before returning to power 48 hours later. The officers became Venezuela’s longest-serving political prisoners, and their case began a repressive tally tied to the Bolivarian revolution. Their release was ordered on humanitarian grounds, announced in advance, and recorded on video, with additional releases planned for the week amid reports of prison deaths and disappearances.

"Hector Rovain was 34 when he went to prison and his parents were still alive. He left at 57 without having been able to bury them. Luis Molina left his daughter as a threeyearold and will now meet a married woman and a grandchild he has yet to know. Like the other two, Erasmo Bolivar spent 23 Christmases without embracing his family. All three were officers of the Metropolitan Police (PM), a force that operated in Caracas and which no longer exists."

"They were accused, without evidence, along with six other officers, of two of the 19 deaths that occurred on April 11, 2002, when an oppositioncalled protest tried to reach the Miraflores presidential palace and demonstrators were repelled by gunfire. There remain doubts about where those bullets came from. That same day, Hugo Chavez was toppled in a coup d'etat, though he returned to power 48 hours later."

"Their release on humanitarian grounds was ordered Tuesday night and announced in advance by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, who said around 300 more people would also be released this week by the same means. In the case of these three officers, amnesty had been denied twice: in 2007, under Chavez, and in 2026, under Delcy Rodriguez. The measure was announced amid outrage over recent deaths in prison and reports of political detainees disappearing."

"The release was recorded on video, showing the three kneeling and kissing the ground at the entrance of the penitentiary in Lara state, wearing prison uniforms and carrying a bag with their few belongings. Much of their sentence was served in a military facility, but five years ago they were transferred to that prison, over 185 miles from their homes they are from Cara"

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