So far, there is no indication in the official discourse that farmer, union, and tenant representatives charged with criminal actions related to “Chavismo policies” are excluded from the measure.
By: La Tabla/Data Journalism Platform 31 JAN 2026
The general amnesty announced this Friday by Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, which would cover acts of political violence committed since 1999, currently offers no indication that the measure targets any specific political sector or excludes other groups based on their ideological identity.
According to the information accessed from the public versions of the announcement, the president defined this initiative as a mechanism to “heal wounds” and “redirect coexistence,” focusing on events seen as politically motivated over the past 27 years. There’s no mention of any restrictions related to the political affiliation of the beneficiaries.
The only exclusions noted so far are serious common crimes, such as homicide, drug trafficking, and human rights violations, criteria aligning with international standards applied in amnesty processes.
Inquiry into social sectors facing legal issues
The review of this announcement is particularly relevant given that there are farmer, worker, tenant, and housing occupants who have faced criminal charges in recent decades due to actions linked to agrarian conflicts, labor demands, or housing disputes, often inspired by policies implemented during the early years of Chavismo under President Hugo Chávez’s leadership.
These cases, involving popular sectors mobilized around agrarian, labor, and housing agendas, raise questions about whether the amnesty could also extend to individuals prosecuted for actions that, although not always formally titled as “political,” emerged in contexts of social confrontation tied to state decisions or disputes over collective rights.
So far, nothing in the official communication suggests these sectors are excluded. On the contrary, the broad reference to “political violence” since 1999 and the lack of partisan distinctions point to a general design that could encompass any individual charged or convicted for actions stemming from political or social conflicts, regardless of their ideological alignment.
Awaiting the legislative text
The breadth of the announcement raises expectations about how the law project to be approved by the National Assembly will be drafted. It will be this text that determines precisely which types of cases will be considered political in nature, how files will be evaluated, and what criteria judicial authorities will apply for implementation.
In the meantime, the available official message does not establish exclusions based on political identity or the social origin of those prosecuted, leaving the possibility open for the measure to reach diverse sectors, including farmers, workers, and individuals involved in housing disputes.