According to the local rights organization Foro Penal, dozens of individuals who were arrested during demonstrations over Venezuela’s contentious presidential election have been freed.
Alfredo Romero, the chairman of Foro Penal, announced early Saturday that fifty inmates had been released from the Tocorón prison in the state of Aragua and twenty more from three other prisons.
Some of those released are seen hugging loved ones in front of applauding crowds in video taken outside one of the jails.
Strongman President Nicolas Maduro was reelected in July’s election, despite significant skepticism about the outcome in Venezuela and abroad, and more than 1,800 people have been arrested for protesting, according to Foro Penal.
According to Human Rights Watch, there are “credible” reports that 24 people were killed during the protest crackdown.
