Political Prisoner Freed After Maduro's Arrest Recounts Life Behind Bars After Being Accused Of Terrorism

Since the United States launched a military operation in Caracas aimed at capturing President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has been able to gradually change some of the conditions that Maduro's regime had kept under tight control.

Among them has been the release of political prisoners who spent months confined to cells at the request of Maduro's authoritarian government. While hundreds of people who were unjustly imprisoned have been freed, hundreds of others have been arrested for demonstrations and protests against the government.

According to the nonprofit human rights advocacy group Foro Penal, more than 130 political prisoners have been released in Venezuela since Jan. 8, while about 700 people remain behind bars, the organization said as reported by CNN.

#17Ene 5 p.m. Desde el 8 de enero de 2026 hasta esta hora del día de hoy, en el @ForoPenal hemos confirmado 139 excarcelaciones de presos políticos en #Venezuela.

— Gonzalo Himiob S. (@HimiobSantome) January 17, 2026

One of those who spent months as a political prisoner under the Maduro regime was Ángel Godoy, a political activist and columnist who spent a year behind bars before ultimately returning home.

In a recent report by The New York Times, Godoy recounted what he endured while imprisoned, striking a tone of hope and pointing to a better future for his country following Maduro's capture.

• Hundreds Of Political Prisoners Still Held in Venezuela As Releases Stall, Local Rights Monitor Says
• French Citizen Held Prisoner In Venezuela Details Ordeal In Detention, Including Being Drugged And Sexually Attacked

According to the report, Godoy was captured by federal agents as he was getting home a year ago and accused him of terrorism and incitement of armed actions and hatred, charges which he denied. He said masked men jumped out of an unmarked vehicle with tinted windows and took him away.

Godoy said was captured by masked agents as he was arriving home a year ago and accused of terrorism and incitement to armed actions and hatred, charges he denied. He said the men jumped out of an unmarked vehicle with tinted windows and took him away.

He was held at several prisons, including El Helicoide, a detention center in Caracas that human rights groups say was commonly used by the Maduro regime to torture and hold political prisoners.

Godoy alleges he was taken by the country's intelligence agency, which has been widely accused of committing numerous human rights violations under the Maduro regime. He was held incommunicado for 25 days and did not see his family for more than three months after being imprisoned.

As noted in the report, Godoy was able to maintain hope with the help of his loved ones. His wife used candy to send messages of encouragement or news about what was happening in Venezuela, while he communicated back using tiny folded scraps of paper smuggled out in the dirty laundry she collected during visits.

"I love you more than life itself," he wrote in one.

After more than a year behind bars, his release came without warning during one of his wife's visits.

Godoy told The New York Times that when he heard his name called for release, "all hell broke loose."

"I said, 'My God,'" he recalled. "I couldn't believe it. Everyone was shouting: 'Freedom, freedom, freedom!'"

As noted by the outlet, despite his release, Venezuelan authorities still retain control over Godoy. He is prohibited from leaving the country and must appear in court every 30 days.

But to Godoy, none of that matters now. He is back home and surrounded by his loved ones, Godoy said he wants to recover the time he lost while in prison.

When he returned to his home in the city of Los Teques, less than 20 miles southwest of Caracas, he reunited with his son, who showed him a photo from his high school graduation.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Godoy whispered. "Now you are," his son, Miguelangel Godoy Briceño, replied. "And I need you to help me study for university."

• Two Political Prisoners in Venezuela Describe Their Ordeal In Captivity: 'Treated As Less Than Dogs'

© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.