Venezuelan detention centers are once again drawing international attention—and not in a positive way. Recent reporting shows that arrests and imprisonment in the country remain tools of fear and control. Promises of reform have largely failed to materialize, and those inside the system say the old practices never truly disappeared.

A January 2026 report from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights paints a grim picture. Politically motivated detentions continue. Secret holding sites still exist. Basic rights remain out of reach for hundreds of people locked away for speaking up, organizing, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Secret Cells and Systemic Abuse

GTN / Recent reporting shows that arrests and imprisonment in the country remain tools of fear and control.

Its rapporteur for Venezuela, Gloria Monique de Mees, confirmed that clandestine detention centers are still operating. These are not whispers from exiled communities—they are documented accounts presented to regional authorities.

These centers operate outside standard oversight and due process. Detainees are often cut off from lawyers and family, with limited access to food, clean water, or medical care. Reports from rights monitors describe beatings, stress positions, and psychological abuse.

The commission emphasizes that this is not disorder; it is systematic. The ongoing presence of secret facilities demonstrates a network built to bypass the law rather than uphold it. Institutions that should protect citizens often shield abusers, with courts, prosecutors, and security forces working in tandem, leaving detainees trapped in a legal fog.

Courts Function as Tools of Control

Human rights organizations support this view. Venezuela’s justice system is being wielded as an instrument of control. Criminal law acts as a leash, tightening whenever dissent emerges. Arrests are frequently based on vague charges, such as terrorism or incitement—terms broad enough to ensnare almost anyone.

Once detained, people face endless delays. Hearings are repeatedly postponed, prosecutors rotate without explanation, and defense lawyers are blocked or ignored. Pretrial detention can last months or years. According to Foro Penal, over 18,700 political detentions have been recorded since 2014—a pattern of repetition, not reform.

Families describe the process as grinding and cruel. They attend court dates that never occur and receive no written rulings. Many detainees never meet a judge in person. The law exists on paper, but in practice, it serves power, not justice.

Releases Do Not Mean Freedom

E News / Interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced political prisoner releases after Maduro’s capture on January 3, 2026.

Following the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, interim President Delcy Rodríguez promised a release process for political prisoners. Headlines carried optimism, but reality quickly cooled expectations.

Government announcements claimed hundreds of releases—first more than 600, later over 800—but independent verification painted a different picture. Foro Penal confirmed closer to 250–266 releases by late January.

Even those freed remain under legal threat. Many still face charges, travel restrictions, or court reporting requirements. Legal limbo means a knock at the door can arrive at any time. As of mid-to-late January 2026, estimates place between 600 and 777 political prisoners still in detention, while the U.S. suggests closer to 1,000 and has called for unconditional releases.