On shortcomings and deficiencies of the ‘Amnesty Law’ in Venezuela

B100221/2026

European Parliament resolution on shortcomings and deficiencies of the ‘Amnesty Law’ in Venezuela

(2026/2704(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Venezuela,

– having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

Whereas the illegitimate president Nicolás Maduro, remained in power despite losing the July 2024 presidential elections, and must face justice for serious human rights violations;

Whereas the US military intervention in Venezuela of 3 January 2026 constituted a clear violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations violating Venezuela's sovereignty;

Whereas Venezuela continues to face a severe economic, social, political and institutional crisis, with devastating consequences for its population;

Whereas in February 2026, Venezuela's National Assembly approved the Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence aimed at releasing hundreds of political prisoners, that has faced significant scrutiny from international organisations and human rights groups;

Whereas on 23 April the Venezuelan caretaker President announced the end of the Amnesty Law in a clear breach of the constitutional order and the independence of judiciary;

Recognises the 2026 Amnesty Law is a first step but serious deficiencies remain;

Demands immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners;

Calls on the Venezuelan regime to guarantee a transparent and consistent application of the law and to all judges to apply it impartially and indiscriminatory;

Underlines that the law does not address the full scope of political persecution, since it applies only to specific political events and categories of offences, excluding large numbers of detainees, individuals accused of vaguely defined crimes, and many opposition figures and military;

Emphasises that the law does not dismantle legal and administrative sanctions as political bans or asset seizures, and therefore functions less as a comprehensive transitional justice mechanism and more as a limited, case-by-case relief measure, insufficient to restore civil and political rights or ensure national reconciliation;

Stresses that the law relies on the widely criticised judiciary that pronounced sentences, allowing discretionary application of amnesty requests and risking the perpetuation of the patterns of repression;

Denounces that by leaving intact the broader repressive apparatus and requiring individuals to petition for relief, the law is perceived as a political instrument;

Urges the new Attorney General, and the new Ombudswoman to prevent their institutions from continuing to be instruments of persecution;

Calls on the Venezuelan regime to end repression, take prompt measures to reform key judicial, law enforcement and electoral institutions, and enact necessary reforms, namely the immediate and effective shutdown of all facilities identified as sites of arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and torture;

Calls on the National Assembly to amend or repeal all laws that enable human rights violations;

Calls for a Venezuelan-led peaceful transition to democracy, respectful of its sovereignty; recalls that the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their future must be respected;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Member States, the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, the Organisation of American States, the Secretary-General of the UN and the Venezuelan regime.